What Lies Ahead
by Marthrythia
Summary: Lucy has always felt out of place. She was never as strong as Natsu, Gray, or Erza. One faithful day when Natsu and Lucy get into a fight, Lucy storms out in anger. She then realizes that that was the biggest mistake that she'd ever made. She will have to endure more than any wizard should during their lifetime. Destruction, loss, and possibly...death... FUTURE NALU, dark themes.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of The End

**_What Lies Ahead_**

_**Chapter 1: The Beginning of The End**_

_Disclaimer: Mashima-sensei is the boss. If only I had such a wild imagination like him._

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia set her book she was reading gently. The loud clamor in the guild broke her concentration. She sat at a small round table with Levy, who was glued to a book. Her nose was scrunched up, focusing on the words on the page. Lucy smiled, and chuckled. Levy heard this, and looked up from book.

"What's wrong?" Levy asked curiously

"Nothing." Lucy replied. "You scrunch up your nose when you're concentrating. It's pretty cute."

Levy made a face and touched her nose." Do I really?"

Before Lucy could reply, an arm flung around her shoulder. "Hey, Luce!"

Lucy yelped at the sudden contact. She turned and glared at the newcomer. "Natsu, don't do that. You scared me!"

"Lucy!" Happy propped himself on her lap and hugged her.

The pink-haired Dragon Slayer gave her a lop-sided grin, and plopped down in a chair next to her. "Sorry about that. Did you hear what happened in Onibus this morning?"

Lucy blinked "No, what happened?"

"Apparently, there was a robbery at one of the Magic Council's warehouse. It was under some heavy-duty magic. Someone broke in and stole a valuable gem. They said it belonged to a powerful wizard" Natsu pursed his lips, trying to remember." I think it was called… Gem of….something. I don't remember. I heard it from these women when I was on the way here."

"It should be called the Gem of Yummy Fishes!"

"Gem of the Souls."

The mages turned their heads at Levy, her eyes as big as dinner plates.

"It's an ancient gem that belonged to the wizard, Giamia. I remember reading about her in the Magic Library. It was said that she worked alongside Zeref four-hundred years ago. She used various weapons, demons, and monsters that has portions of her magic in them, like what Zeref did with Lullaby and Deliora. She used one of the most powerful magicks of Lost Magic. It was called Divine Magic. I heard one time that she was so powerful she defeated _all_ of the Ten Wizard Saints, at _once_. She was very loyal to Zeref for a while. Then, Giamia decided to act on her own out of vengeance, hatred, and jealous. She was jealous of Zeref and his abilities, that she basically turned herself into a blood-thirsty demon. Zeref was always the…more popular one, so to speak. That drove her _off the wall_. She actually tried to kill the King of Fiore, to anger Zeref because he needed the king for a big project of his. Anyway, she wanted to be bow down to. She wanted power, fortune, untold riches. Her goal was to overpower Zeref, and take over Earthland. There were very many battles between them that almost caused all of Fiore enter a full-out war. But she couldn't defeat Zeref after all." Levy looked horrified." If that thing falls into the wrong hands, we could be in _serious_ trouble guys."

Natsu waved her off. "Aw, that won't happen. Erza is already on the case." He jerked his thumb backwards, pointing at the re-equip mage scanning the board. He leaned forward a bit and lowered his voice. "And besides, we all know Erza can take down any robber with one strike of her sword." He shuddered." I still think she's the spawn of the Devil."

Lucy relaxed a bit. He did have a point. About the sword, that is.

"It sounds scary" Happy whimpered and hid his face in Lucy's chest.

"I don't know guys. I have a really bad feeling about this." The small script mage shifted in her seat, uncomfortably.

Natsu threw her his signature grin. "Stop worrying. Besides, the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail will catch the scary robbers and rid their horrible existence from this country!" He cried dramatically. "And, Lucy over here will probably just hide under her bed, while I do all the work."

Lucy slapped his arm and pouted. " I will do no such thing."

"Don't be so mean, Natsu" Happy scolded.

"Oi, Hothead. Stop screwing around over there and get your lazy ass over here. I want a rematch from yesterday!"

Lucy groaned. _Here we go, again_.

Natsu growled and turned to face the half-naked man." You want to run that by me again, droopy eyes?"

Gray raised an eyebrow "I said, stop screwing around and get your lazy ass over here. Man, for a Dragon Slayer, your hearing sucks."

The pink-haired man slid back his chair and stood. "For your information, my hearing is fine. At least I'm not the one who is naked the majority of the time" He motioned towards Gray's boxers.

The ice mage looked down, eyes widened."Shit."

He fumbled to put his clothes back on. When he was done, the raven-haired male glared at Natsu. "I didn't need your help for that."

Natsu scoffed and crossed his arms."If you enjoy stripping so much, why not make so money off of it." He smiled slyly. "Not that anybody would pay to see _that_, anyways."

Gray fumed. "You want to say that to my face, flame brain?"

Lucy saw Natsu's fist lit on fire. "Come over here and see, Ice Cube."

Gray started to charge."Why, you-"

A sword cut him off.

"If you both value your heads, I suggest you sit down and stay quiet, like good boys" Erza's voice sliced through the air, dangerous and firm. Gray mumbled something before sitting back down in a chair, sulking.

The Exceed got scared and hid his face in Lucy's chest again. She patted his back, comforting him

Erza treaded to where Natsu and Lucy where sitting, paper in hand. She laid the paper down on the table. "I found a job hiring to find the thieves of the Onibus robbery this morning. It pays pretty well, so I think it's a good deal."

Lucy looked surprised. "Wow that was fast."

Erza shrugged."They're desperate to catch the culprits." She handed the flyer to Lucy."It says that they just want us to catch the robbers. They'll handle the gem."

Lucy had to let go of Happy and studied the flyer cautiously. Natsu leaned over her shoulder. Levy sat quietly listening to the whole conversation with a blank expression etched on her face."They're making a pretty big deal out of this."

"It is a very important gem." Erza stated.

"Why make a big fuss about a gem? It seems stupid." Natsu said nonchalantly.

"This gem can be the end of Fiore as we know it, Natsu." Levy replied with a straight face.

"Oh…."

"I don't like this job, Lucy. It's scary."Happy whined.

Lucy looked up at Erza. "Seems interesting. I'll do it. Besides, my rent is due soon anyway."

Erza gazed at the pink-haired man with deep brown eyes."Are you in Natsu?"

He smiled, flashing his canines. "_Hell yeah_!"

"I guess I'll go" Happy said hesitantly. Lucy felt him start to shake.

"How 'bout you, Gray?" Erza called over her shoulder.

"Sure." The ice mage muttered. Apparently, he had been eavesdropping.

"Good."Erza stood."We will leave in two days."She nodded towards Levy and the others, and left.

Natsu and Lucy watched the redhead stalk over to the bar, and order a cheesecake from Mirajane.

Lucy stood up from her seat, set the shivering cat down, and glanced out the window. It was starting to get dark. "Well, Natsu I think I'm going to head home now."

The Dragon Slayer stared at her. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

She smiled. "No, I'm good thanks."She waved bye at the script mage and stride past them.

She heard Natsu comforting the Exceed by getting him some fish. That cheered Happy up instantly.

She said bye to her guildmates and trekked home. The whole way, she held her keys in her hand with an iron grip, scared of the dangers that lurked in the shadows….

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up. She barely got any sleep, stressing about the robbers, the gem, and how it would affect Fairy Tail. She stretched and yawned. The blond mage looked over, to find no Natsu. _Thank God_, she thought, _if he was he it would only add to my insomnia_.

Lucy got ready for another day at the guild. She started to wonder where Natsu was. He always tried to sneak into her bed late at night. She brushed it off, and continued to get dressed.

* * *

By noon, Lucy walked into the guild, with Plue safely tucked in her arms. Everybody was chatting away happily. A wave of relief washed over her when she spotted a pink head of hair sitting at his usual table with Gray and Erza. Happy was curled up on Natsu's lap, nibbling on a piece of raw fish. She was surprised that Natsu and Gray weren't fighting yet. The blond mage decided to go talk to Erza more about the mission. She strolled over and set Plue down, carefully.

"Hiya there, Lucy!" Happy exclaimed with fish in his mouth.

Natsu looked up and smiled. "Hey, Lucy!"

She returned the smile."Hi."

The girl fixed her gaze on Erza."Can you explain our mission to me a bit more?"

The re-equip took a bite out of her strawberry cheesecake. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Well…"Lucy sat down next to her."How dangerous will it be?"

Erza looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.

"I-I mean, we're dealing with some pretty serious robbers. It sounds like they're experts if they broke into a heavily guarded place. And we really don't know a lot of details. Also, they must be really brave to mess with the Magic Council. They'll be hot on their tail."

The redhead pondered on this and said "Well, like you said, they are very skilled thieves, and has probably thought this through. All of Fiore is looking for them now. Even the King has issued to have them captured. We aren't alone. There are probably more wizards out there that are looking for the criminals, at this very moment. That jewel is probably a very dangerous weapon can wipe out even the strongest of wizards. Levy and I did some research last night and, according to her and other resources, the rightful owner of this gem had immense power, as powerful as Zeref himself. We are putting our life on the line to find this jewel. And this is a very serious situation we are in, so this mission, most likely, can cost us our lives."

Lucy absorbed the words and the tone of Erza's voice. It was starting to scare her a bit.

"So, I've crunched some numbers and the possibility of all of us making it out alive…"The re-equip mage trailed off.

She took another bite of her cake, chewed, and swallowed.

"…is 17%."

The whole table shouted in unison."What?!"

Erza's voice was calm. "We are handling, Fiore's most wanted right now. Of course it's going to be very dangerous."

"Oh, no matter." Natsu said, pushing Happy off his lap. His fist connected with his palm, grinning like a mad man. "When they get a glimpse of Team Natsu, they'll be runnin' with their tails between their legs."

Happy looked up at him, with watery eyes. "Like mine is now?"

The re-equip mage looked up at the fire mage, her expression deadly serious. "Natsu, this is no laughing matter. One of us can die on this mission, if we weren't careful enough. We could all die."

Those words made Natsu's face fall and eyes widened.

He silently sat back down.

Gray looked shocked. "That wasn't in the job description! Why weren't we notified about this?!"

Erza disturbingly took this too well. "That is what happens when you accept a job. You dedicate your life no matter what the cost. That is what you agree to whenever you take a job."

Gray wasn't having that. "That's bullshit! Who are we even dealing with anyway? Master jewel thieves? Cold-blooded killers? There is more than just kidnapping these guys. There has to be a catch!"

The redhead shot the ice mage a poisonous glare."Calm down and sit. You're causing a scene."

Lucy turned to find half the guild looking at them with concern. Juvia and Mirajane looked at the hysterical Gray.

"Fuck everyone else! This is serious. We will need back-up or something."

The blond then turned to find Natsu pondering. He was strangely quiet.

"Sit down, _now_."Erza gritted through her teeth.

Before Gray could protest, Natsu finally spoke.

"You aren't going, Lucy."

The three of them turned towards Natsu.

Lucy blinked.

"_Excuse me?_"

The fire mage turned towards her with a solemn look on his face.

"_You _aren't going, Lucy." He repeated slowly.

Lucy didn't like that. "What the Hell do you mean I'm not going?"

"Exactly what it means. You will not go on the mission with us."

Now she was pissed.

"And who do you think you are telling me what to do?" Lucy spat. She stood up and slammed her hands on the table, making Happy and Plue jump.

Natsu stood up to her eye level. "We will go and catch the robbers, and _you_ will stay here and pick another job.

"_You_ are not my father! You can't tell me what to do!" Anger boiled in her chest.

"You are not going on that mission with us, and that's final." Natsu's nostrils flared something that happens when he is mad.

Nobody noticed, but Plue left before things can get more out of hand than it already was.

"I don't give a damn what you think and I am going on that mission! If you guys are going, then I'm going. _That's_ final." They were both yelling by now. The whole guild was silent, listening to the two mages argue.

"_You_ will stay here, Lucy…"He growled.

"I am_ not_ a slave that obeys your every whim!"

"I don't care you aren't coming with us!

"God, when did you become so controlling!"

"The moment I found out my nakama could die on this mission."The fire mage snarled.

" Then why aren't you worried about Erza and Gray going?!" Lucy barked

"Because I know they can take care of themselves!" When Natsu realized what he said he immediately covered his mouth with his hands.

Lucy felt like she was just punched in the face. She took a few steps back. Then, her anger quickly recovered, tenfold."Are you….are you saying that I can't protect myself?" Her tone was dangerous.

"No… Th-That wasn't what trying to say! What I was trying to say was-"Natsu started.

Before he could finish, Lucy turned on her heel and marched towards the front door.

"Lucy, wait please-"

A hand connected to his face, _hard_. He took a step backwards, startled by the sudden strike. He pressed his hand to his cheek. It stung.

Lucy looked at him, with burning rage in those usually warm brown eyes.

She didn't say anything as she continued to march out of the guild.

Natsu and the others watched her retreat. Someone finally spoke.

"You really fucked up now, man."

* * *

Lucy was beyond furious. She was_ livid._

_The _nerve_ of that guy! _She thought, _I can't believe he said that to my face!_

She didn't even know where she was going anymore. She didn't want to go back to her apartment, because he would probably find a way to break in and start apologizing. So she decided to walk about.

Lucy's anger calmed with each step she took. She realized that she had been walking for a while now, and that it was starting to get dark now. It didn't matter. She still did not want to go home just yet. Besides, she had her keys and whip, so that she_ could_ protect herself. The blond mage frowned. Why had he suddenly said that? Was it out of frustration? Panic? Lucy didn't understand. She tried to go through every possibility. Was it because he was worried? Because he was nervous? Lucy knew he was trying to protect her from danger but he never said anything before. Was it because he was stressed out about a life-threatening mission? Or was it because…

Lucy stopped.

Or was it because she was too weak?

Lucy felt a pang of hurt in her chest. She continued walking trying to ignore the sadness that swelled up in her heart. Her eyes started to sting, her nose started to get that peppery feeling whenever she started to cry. She refused to believe that she was a burden on Team Natsu. She didn't want to believe it! She wasn't weak. She wasn't! Lucy walked and walked, ignoring the salty tears rolling down her cheeks. How could Natsu be so insensitive? How could he say something that hurtful to her? She thought that they were nakama. Nakama didn't say that to each other! Was she really that weak, that she had to be protected by others and not even knowing it? The blond knew she could never live up to Erza, Gray, and Natsu. But she never considered herself weak. She had always admired them on how brave they were. How could she be oblivious to her own powers? She was being treated like a little kid, needing protection from someone. She didn't need anybody to protect her. Lucy looked down at her hands. Is she so frail and pitiful, that she can't even stand on her own two feet alone?

Lucy wiped at her tears harshly. This is so stupid. She was crying over something so stupid and childish. The mage pulled her hands away from her face and looked around. She had been aimlessly walking that she hadn't even been paying attention to where she was going, and it was dark. She found herself in the forest. Lucy heard crickets starting to chirp to a beautiful melody. Feeling tired, she sat down on a rotten tree stump, not caring if it ruined her clothes. Her tears fell down her face and onto her hands. She was tired of feeling so lonely and weak. She didn't want this anymore. Lucy closed her eyes and silently wept.

The blond didn't care anymore. As the tears rolled down her face, she made a promise to herself.

_I will never allow anyone to go out of there way for me. I want to get stronger. And I will. I will learn to protect myself on my own with nobody's help. I will become strong._

She let out a humorless laugh. It sounded so cheesy. But it didn't matter. Because she will keep that promise. And no one will stop her from fulfilling that promise.

Lucy stopped crying, and stayed like that for a while, she didn't know how long. It didn't matter. She sat on the stump, eyes closed and clothes dirtied, listening to the peaceful sounds of the forest. It calmed her. The beautiful sounds of nature. She loved hearing the birds chirp, and stillness of the forest. Suddenly, she started to hear rustling and peeked through one eye. Maybe it was a deer.

But it was no deer, nor a bear. Lucy opened both of her eyes now and started to feel for her keys. She gripped Loke's key tightly. She called out "Hello?"

The figure finally stepped out of the shadows and revealed itself.

A woman.

Lucy's eyes widened at the sight of her. The lady's beautiful blond curls that spiraled down her back, past her waist. Her fair skin glowed and mingled with the moonlight, looking soft to the touch, giving off a breath-taking aura. Her face resembled an angel in every nook and cranny. The woman's eyes were big and round, with warm chocolate eyes. Lips as pink as peonies, they were pulled back in a serene smile. She wore a pale gown that reached down to her feet. Her limbs were long and slender, golden arm cuffs twisted towards her wrists. There was one word to describe her. _Gorgeous. _

Lucy was speechless. She didn't know what to say. Was this stranger a goddess? She stared at her with longing and amazement. When she was about to say something, the woman turned and disappeared.

"Wait!" Lucy cried after her. She scrambled to her feet and ran to follow her. She couldn't see a thing. The only source of light she had was the dim reflection of the moon. She ran as fast as she could, dodging branches and sticks."Who are you?" Lucy yelled out again. Her lungs started to burn. She could faintly make out the mysterious female's hair and ran faster. Legs feeling like they were on fire, she continued to move. She didn't even know why she was chasing this stranger. But she ran as fast as her tired legs could take her. Lucy stepped on a broken branch, making her tumble over. She hissed in pain and looked at her ankle. It was still intact but it hurt like hell. She strained to stand and brushed herself off.

The blond mage looked up to find herself in a clearing. It was very pretty. It looked like it was hand-made. The fountain that had a little baby angel on it was a bit chipped and vines twirled over the delicate statue. Behind it was a little pond that had lily pads and fallen leaves stuck in the clear water. It was a very stunning sight and it looked pretty old.

A faint blue glow came from the fountain. It startled Lucy a bit, but after a moment waved it off. Maybe she was just seeing things.

But the glow came from the very same spot.

Letting curiosity take over, Lucy moved slowly towards the run-down fountain. As she moved forward, she saw a crystal. The blue glow intensified as she moved closer. The blond felt a wave of unease wash over her. She was a bit afraid to investigate more. But the crystal was striking. The glow illuminated the fountain, making it look dazzling. It fascinated Lucy just by looking at it. She felt her right hand tingle, having an uncontrollable urge to touch the precious stone. She held her wrist with her other hand. She had a bad feeling about this

_Touch it, Lucy…._

At the sound of her name, Lucy jumped and spun around to find nobody in the clearing. "Hello?" She called out. The sound of the soft wind was her only answer. She turned back to the crystal staring at it with longing.

_Touch it, Lucy…._

"Who are you?"The mage shouted. Her mind was spinning. What was going on?

_Touch the Gem, Lucy…._

"Why?!"Lucy cried out.

_Because it's yours….Touch it to claim what is rightfully yours…._

"What's rightfully mine?"The blond lifted her arm.

_Yes….Power….Isn't that what you want….to become stronger…?_

"I do, but…"Her voice cracked. She was starting to panic now. Her body felt as heavy as lead. She started to feel dizzy.

_Then_ _touch_ _it…Touch it and let go of everything else….Natsu….Fairy Tail…..Everything…._

Lucy gave in. She slowly, slowly reached her hand towards the gem.

_Touch it…._

As her long fingers reached towards the stone, the glow flickered faster, burning brighter.

_Touch it…._

Her digits were hovered a mere centimeter, hesitantly.

_Touch it!_

Lucy's fingertips brushed the stone.

And then Lucy screamed.

* * *

Natsu sighed as he wandered around Magnolia. After his fight with Lucy, Erza gave him a good beating and lectured him along with Mirajane, Levy, and Lisanna. He felt really bad about saying that stuff to Lucy. He didn't mean to, it just…slipped. He left the guild, guilty of his actions. The fire mage sniffed out her scent, noting that it was already stale. He walked past her house, surprised that she wasn't there. It would make sense though if she didn't want to see him. He treaded down the stony path, getting more worried by the second. Why would she wander off this far, especially this late at night? The Salamander knew she was mad but she didn't have to wander out by herself. There are very dangerous robbers around!

He sighed again. This is what brought them into this mess in the first place. Him thinking that Lucy can't take care of herself. But he knows good and well that Lucy can protect her, no problem. She's a smart girl. But with the Onibus robbery yesterday, and learning how serious it is, his Nakama is his #1 priority, first and foremost. He was worried about Erza, Happy, and even _Gray_. Natsu was worried that something might happen on the mission. Truthfully, he didn't want anyone going at all. But he knew that Gray and Erza would never listen to a word he says. He thought he could talk the most sense into Lucy, out of all of them. Of course, that backfired.

Lucy's scent led him to a small forest on the edge of Magnolia. The mix of bugs, trees, and plants filled his nose, making it hard to pick out Lucy's scent. He walked up to an old tree stump. He could barely make out her scent, but she was definitely here. Natsu sniffed again, but the trail ends here.

"Lucy?"Natsu called. No answer.

"Lucy, I'm sorry."He tried again. Silence.

Until he heard an ear-splitting shriek.

And he knew who it belonged to.

Lucy.

"LUCY!"Natsu yelled. He followed the sound of the screech. The damn branches were in his way, making it hard to run. It was pissing him off.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"Fire shot out of his mouth, burning the trees and grass. He ran through burnt trail, and made it into a clearing. He spotted Lucy's body on laid on the forest floor, face-down.

"Lucy! Are you okay?"He was in hysterics. He turned Lucy over to inspect her.

Natsu's heart stopped.

He found her crying.

Not tears….

Blood.

* * *

Author's note: Hey everybody, its me The Angelic Demonoid! This is my very first fanfic and im very excited about it. This story is one of my very many stories about Fairy Tail I have in mind. So I hope you enjoyed my fanfic! and i'm really sorry if its a bit cheesy on some parts. I'm fairly new to this website so please goeasy on me with the comments! Thanks so much!

Arigatou!$DEMON$


	2. Chapter 2: The Darkness

**_What Lies Ahead_**

**_Chapter 2: The Darkness_**

* * *

HEY GUYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING AND STUFF! You don't know how happy you made me ;.; **Oh if you are a very religious Christian or Catholic then you might not want to read ahead. There are some….anti-religious stuff in here.**

I warned you.

_Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, there would be A LOT more blood..._

Anyway, I will stop talking so you can continue to read.

* * *

Natsu ran. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. Every fiber in his body was burning more than usual. He carried a bleeding Lucy in his arms. Her eyes bled more and more, streaming down her face slowly, dripping on his clothes and hands. By now, Natsu's pants, arms, and torso were stained with her crimson blood. He was terrified for the blonde's life. She was deathly pale, and her breaths were becoming shallower by the second. He could still hear it with his impeccable hearing, but if he did not hurry, things can turn for the worst. Natsu felt fear claw at his chest, making him feel utterly helpless and scared.

He crashed into a couple of branches, painfully scratching his limbs. But that didn't matter right now. Lucy was his main concern at this very moment. Natsu finally darted out the small forest, and anxiously looked for the city. He spotted the big church in the middle of Magnolia and dashed. He had to take Lucy to the infirmary in the guild. Wendy could probably take her there and maybe, God forbid, have Porlyuscia inspect her. He pushed the negative thoughts away and focused on the thing that matters most. Lucy's life. He couldn't care less as he collided into pedestrians in the big crowds. He shouldered himself past the cheery people. His breaths were quick. He found it a bit hard to breathe. Lucy swayed in his arms with each swift step he took. If he didn't get there soon, Lucy could….

Natsu looked ahead to see the faint outline of the guild in his sight

Thank God for his inhumanly rapid pace.

As he got closer, Natsu kicked the door open hearing the crack of the door as they slammed against the guild's walls.

"Where's Wendy?!"He shouted frantically. A few heads turned to see a hysterical Natsu holding Lucy's unconscious and bloody body.

"Natsu, what happened?"Mirajane's eyes widened in horror. The fire mage took his arm and knocked the tankards and beer bottles with one hasty swipe. He laid Lucy down carefully.

Erza came closer."Natsu, what's going on?"

Natsu took deep breaths. He didn't have time for small talk. He needed to find the little Dragon Slayer."Where's….Wendy?"He repeated louder.

The redhead turned towards Gray."Take Juvia and go find Wendy. I haven't seen her in a while; she's most likely with Gajeel and Pantherlily. And be quick! Go!"

Gray and Juvia couldn't have left any faster.

Mirajane and Elfman heaved Lucy off the small table and rushed to the infirmary. Natsu threw himself into a nearby chair, desperate to catch a breath. Everyone crowded and yelled.

"What happened to Lucy?!"

"She has lost so much blood! Was there an accident?"

"Where were you guys? Were you jumped?"

"Why did you guys take so long out?"

"Will she be okay? Are the injuries life-threatening?"

That statement made Natsu's heart pound faster. His vision started to blur a bit. He felt bile at the back of his throat. He didn't know if it was because all the blood, or all the running.

"Everybody, calm down and be quiet! We can't bombard him like this." Erza snapped impatiently. She knelt down beside the breathless boy."Now, Natsu. Tell me what happened."

"Lucy….was in the….forest. I was….looking for her to….to apologize…..I heard her scream…..she was on the ground…..and when I tried to…..to get her up….her eyes started bleeding."Natsu could only manage those words out.

"Did you see anybody there with her?"The re-equip mage calmly asked.

Natsu shook his head. He actually didn't even check if anyone was in the clearing with her.

Erza stared at him for a while, and then turned away."I'm going to go help look for Wendy."

Natsu watched her go with a frightened look. When she finally left, Natsu whimpered and held his hand in his hands, regretfully.

_What have I done?_

* * *

Slowly, Lucy opened her eyes to be greeted with darkness. She was confused. Where was she? Her head ached terribly. What had happened? She didn't remember anything that happened. The blond looked around. Nothing . She only saw black. Lucy slowly brought herself to her feet. She took an experimental step forward.

"Hello?"She strained to speak. Her voice crack and her throat was dry.

Nothing. Not even an echo.

She continued to walk through the empty space. Her legs tingled, making it feel weird to stand. Her body felt a bit cold. She looked down to see herself wearing a flowing, white gown. The blond scowled and stroked the soft fabric. Where did this come from?

"What? You don't like the dress I picked out for you?"

Lucy was startled by the feminine voice. She whirled around to find herself face-to-face with a woman. She was pouting.

"And after I put all that time and effort into it."The lady sighed.

The blond took several steps back. She remembered this woman! This was the female that she saw in the forest when she ran off. Lucy stopped. Natsu. She remembered her fight with him. And her angry outburst and running out of the guild, and the forest. And her promise that she made it herself. She remembered seeing this woman also, and the gem, but….she couldn't remember anything else.

Lucy recovered and snarled."Who are you and what do you want?"

The mysterious female raised a well-trimmed eyebrow."Now, now Lucy. Is that anyway to talk to your grandmother?"

The blond backpedaled."What?"

"Well, technically speaking, your great-great-great-great grandmother."She chuckled."That sure a lot of greats' isn't it, Lucy? Well, considering how great I am, it describes me quite well."

The mage was tired of the games."Alright, cut the crap. Who are you seriously and absolutely no avoiding the question."

The other wiggled her finger back and forth ant Lucy."No, no, no Lucille, there's no need to become so short-tempered. That will soon be revealed to you."

"My name is Lucy, not Lucille."Lucy growled.

"Really, now? I prefer Lucille. It suits a pretty little flower like you."The woman ran a slender hand through her long blond hair."But for now, you can call me Dark."

Lucy crossed her arms and huffed. "Alright, _Dark_, since you don't like giving direct answers, mind telling me what you and I are doing here? And also why were you in the forest at that late at night. And how in the hell did we get here?"

Dark smiled."Tell me Lucille, has anybody ever told you that you are quite annoying when you are impatient?"

"Excuse me?"Lucy barked.

"Ah, Lucille, I am just messing with you!"Dark gave a hearty laugh, throwing her head back.

That's it.

"I don't care who you are, but you are _majorly_ pissing me off. I want answers and I want them now! So I better like what I hear, or else we will be having some _serious_ problems, you cocky _bitch_!" Lucy spat out.

The woman's face immediately darkened at the sound of the harsh words."I don't think I like you tone, Lucille."

Dark raised her arm and put her long fingers in a clawing motion.

Before Lucy get the words out of her mouth, her throat constrict, trapping her airways. She brought her hand towards her throat, trying to tear at the unknown force. Dark raised her arm higher, leaving Lucy in mid-air. She was desperately trying to gasp for a breath of air. The lack of oxygen was making her dizzy. She tried to get out the words, _please put me down,_ but failed. She kicked her legs, struggling to get out of the painful grip. Lucy's eyes started to water. Her head spun. She had to stop this. This woman was going to kill her if she didn't do anything! _Please stop_.

"I really think you should learn how to be more respectful to your elders, Lucille. It would be a shame to end a perfectly good life because of one, measly tantrum. Are you going to behave now?"Dark said slowly, making sure that Lucy had registered the words.

The blond could barely keep consciousness. Her lungs cried for sweet air. She nodded, feeling herself slip away each second.

The lady smiled."Good then."

Dark dropped her arm and watched as Lucy hit the floor, mercilessly.

Lucy shook and coughed violently. She propped herself on one arm. She hungrily gulped down air, and felt light-headed. Tears hit the non-existing floor, one by one, not by sadness though. Her body hurt from being dropped from such a high distance. She twisted around to see the woman. This was no ordinary female. Though she was the most beautiful thing that Lucy had ever seen, she was dangerous. She was frightening gorgeous. She was….

She was a monster.

Lucy wiped the spit from her mouth and shakily stood up.

"There we go! That wasn't hard, was it?"Dark smirked."Now, let's try that again. What did you want to know, Lucille?"

Lucy swallowed down her fury and muttered."Would you please explain to me where we are, what you were doing in that forest, and who you are?"

Dark's eyes brightened."I would be happy to answer your questions, Lucille!"

The woman began to speak.

"To answer your first question, we are in Limbo. Limbo is the place where the living are held, waiting to be pasted on to the afterlife. The ones that go to Heaven have to wait seven days to fully be a member of Paradise. If you are patient enough, you can pass on to Heaven. The ones are too impatient linger inside Limbo for eternity. The Lord and Satan made an agreement to put an alternate dimension other than Heaven and Hell. They put it here to test to see which ones will pass The Almighty's righteous judgment, or fall for the Devil's mischievous actions. Here in Limbo, Time goes slow so waiting is a way to see if you are worthy of become a member of Heaven, or a demon of Hell. The ones that go to the very depths of Hell encounter their deepest, darkest fears. There are very rare cases, and I mean very rare, that the ones in Limbo escape that darkness and live. What you humans call these experiences are Near Death Experiences. But that is not the proper term. They are called The Seventh Dream. People with these special powers to escape death are called Wanderers. Wanderers are very hard to kill. That is why they escape death without breaking a sweat. Not immortal, per say, just very hard to kill. They have different…brain functions. They work differently than others regular humans. Many of them are very powerful wizards. Some try not to attract too much attention to themselves. Wanderers have powers hidden deep inside of them, that most of the time; those Wanderers don't even get to experience their Lost Magic. For example, you and I are Wanderers."Dark motioned to Lucy.

The blonde's eyes widened."Really?"

"Really. You see, Lucille, you are not weak. You just have not discovered your powers until now."

"So does that mean I can't die?"

"If I say you don't die, then you do not die."

"So does that mean we are having a Seventh Dream right now?"

The woman laughed."Silly girl! You do not _have_ a Seventh Dream, you _experience_ a Seventh Dream. I know I am using that word a lot, but there is no other way to describe it so perfectly."

Lucy was about to ask what she meant about 'until now' but the female had cut her off.

"Wanderers have…. Another side to them, as you would say. Humans call it Schizophrenia, the mental disorder that has two personalities. There are two sides to the specific person. So they are not crazy, they just have another person living inside the same body. One side may be gentle, sweet, and kind while on the other side; they could be a heartless killer. A person that only wants destruction and death for the world. Some get lucky and don't have to ever go through that kind of torture, others are less fortunate. When you had touched the gem, you and I became linked to each other. My soul was attached to that gem, so now it is attached to you. So that means you and I are two different people with the same body. That means you cannot die until I give you the 'OK' to die. A Wanderer's other side has to agree to let you die. If it does not, then you must endure the pain that you are going through. Most of the time, the other side does not go down without a fight. We are in Limbo because the jewel was too much power for your body to handle and that we are physically, mentally, and emotionally attached to each other. You were not used to so much powerful magic in your body. So here you are, with me, in Limbo."

The mage soaked in the information like a sponge.

Dark continued.

"For your second question, that forest is my home. I used to live there with my lover, with the birds and plants. I was very happy there for so long. Then…"

Her face fell.

"Then, my love turned against me. I used to have a handsome young lad. He was quite a catch, too. I loved him very much. He was my sun, my moon, my everything."

Dark looked lost in thought, and then quickly brushed it off.

"And for your third question," The woman continued cheerfully."I already answered it."

Lucy blinked. "You have?"

"Yes! I am your great-great-great-great grandmother."Her eyes sparkled.

The blond mage looked at her with doubt."Alright, prove it to me then."

"Isn't it obvious, child?"She looked at her with a grin."We look almost identical."

Lucy hadn't noticed it until now. She leaned forward studied Dark carefully. They did look alike! The same pretty blond hair, the same chocolate eyes, even _the same bust size_. Almost everything about them was the same, but Dark had a radiant glow coming off her, making her more beautiful.

"That's pretty freaky."

"We are related, dear."

Lucy was silent for a moment, and then she spoke.

"So about the Wanderer thing…."She trailed off."Was my mother a Wanderer?"

Dark was taken aback by the question."No, Lucille, she wasn't. Not everyone in our family was a Wanderer. You see, the science behind being a Wanderer is absolutely extraordinary. It works with your genes. I don't really know how to explain it but Magic is a bit….picky. It wants a keeper to past down its magic. This magic cannot simply be learned. It has to be inherited by that keeper. The only people were your great-great grandmother, your grandmother, you, and I. The powers of a Wanderer are alive. It decides if the person has earned to be the carrier of that specific gene. Apparently, it thought that you were a worthy candidate, if it wanted you as its 'champion'. Its powers are unknown to scientists all over Earthland. Even I do not know the logic behind it."

The blond nodded."So why come to me of all people? Why not my grandmother? Why me?"

Dark gave her an evil smile."Because this century was the best choice for my plan."

"Plan?"Lucy repeated.

The woman started walking towards her. Lucy took a step back."Yes, Lucille. My plan. You see, darling child…"

Dark disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Lucy looked around. What the Hell?

"I need you…"

Arms snaked around Lucy's waist. She stiffened as she felt hot breath down her neck.

"I need your body…."

The blond started to panic. Things just turned for the worst, and she knew it.

"I need your soul…."

Dark flicked her tongue out to wet Lucy's earlobe.

"I need your powers…."

The mage managed to escape from the woman's grasp. She ran. It wouldn't take her anywhere but she still ran.

Dark suddenly appeared in front of her.

"You can't escape me, Lucille."Her voice echoed through the black oblivion.

Lucy turned to run the other way. She barely got a few steps when something jerked her back, almost causing her to fall on her face. She looked down at her wrist. A silver cuff encased her wrist, a long, heavy metal chain attached. She used her free hand to try to pry the cuff off.

Lucy's eyes followed the chain to where Dark was standing. She gave Lucy a smile, oozing with venom and sadistic pleasure. The woman had the same cuff on her wrist. She twirled the chain around her hand, and pull, sending Lucy forward into her arms. Dark caught her with ease. She looked down at the blond girl. Lucy returned the stare, to see her usual brown eyes were replaced with cold black eyes.

"You are mine, Lucy Heartfilia. Your mind, body, and soul are now mine. Don't you see? We are bound to each other with nothing to break us apart. We were destined."Dark murmured in a soft, yet firm tone. She softly trailed one finger down her cheek.

Lucy was absolutely horrified. Her breath was caught in her throat, struggling to find the right words. She knew one wrong move can cost her life. But she had to get away. She had to get away from this evil witch's clutches. But she stayed frozen. Her body pressed up against Dark's made her heart pound so fast; she thought it would burst out of her chest. This woman wasn't who she was. She thought she knew who she was, but prayed to God that she was wrong. But it all clicked together. The Onibus robbery, this woman, the gem, the rare magic. It had all made sense. She should have realized this sooner. Lucy finally found some courage to whisper four little words.

"Who are you, really?"

Dark smiled, showing her pearly white teeth.

"I am Giamia."

* * *

Natsu paced rapidly up and down the guild. Gray, Juvia, and Erza finally gotten a hold of Wendy, and rushed her down to Fairy Tail. He had to explain to the little Dragon Slayer everything that happened. She had listened with a calm and quiet demeanor. Natsu sometimes forgot that she was only twelve. She acted more sophisticated than most of the people in the guild. He respected the girl deeply for that. After he was done explaining, she thanked him and asked everyone if they could wait before people started to visit Lucy. Natsu had stayed at the guild with Erza, Gray, Happy, Gajeel, Pantherlily, Mirajane, Levy, and Carla. Erza, Mirajane, Gray, and Gajeel were talking quietly, even though Natsu could still hear them. Levy was reading an old magic book. She thought that if she could find something related to what had had happened. Natsu thought it was a waste of time, but anything was better than being absolutely oblivious to what was happening to their nakama.

He was getting really impatient. It had been two hours since Wendy went in there, and the fire mage hadn't heard anything from the infirmary. Carla was standing outside the door with Happy standing near her, worrying about both of the females. Natsu didn't know what to do. He blamed himself for getting Lucy hurt. If it wasn't because of his big mouth, they wouldn't be in this mess. The fire mage sat down in a chair, only to get right back up to start pacing again.

"Natsu, can you please sit down? Your pacing is breaking my concentration."Levy snapped. He didn't blame her. Her best friend was lying in a hospital bed right now. Who wouldn't be a little snappy?

He muttered an apology and quietly sat back down. He ran a calloused hand through his pink hair. His hands were still caked in Lucy's blood. He was too worried. It was already 11 o'clock at night, and Natsu was pretty tired. After wandering the whole town for the blond, then finding her bleeding her eyes out, then running as fast as he could to get her first aid. Natsu sighed, his eyelids feeling heavy. Maybe if he just rested his eyes for a while.

A few minutes later, Wendy came out. The group stood up and walked up to the little girl, waiting to hear the news. She looked up. She looked the most tired out of all of them.

"She'll be fine. She probably won't wake up until tomorrow."

Everyone released a sigh of relief, except Gajeel, who just kept a straight face.

"But, I think there is something you guys should see."

Uh oh. That didn't sound good.

"What is it? Is it serious?"Levy asked.

The blue-haired girl looked away. "No, that's not it. It's just…."

Wendy turned and walked into the infirmary."Follow me."

So they did. One by one, they filed in the room. The smell of bleach and clean linen filled Natsu's nostrils, making his nose crinkle. He never liked the smell of the infirmary.

Lucy's body lay on the bed, a bandage wrapped around her forehead. She looked serene in her sleep. At least that hadn't changed. He slowly walked over to the cot. Her eyes were closed, no longer bleeding. He was thankful for that. Natsu took in her appearance. Her pump lips were slightly parted, her breath escaping from her mouth and taking in another. She was tucked in soundly under the thin sheets. Her long blond hair was spread out on the soft pillow.

Hold on….

Lucy didn't have long hair.

"What's up with her hair?"Natsu asked. He threaded his fingers through her golden locks. They were so soft. He lifted his hand to bring it to the light. Her hair shone in the light. He lifted his hand higher to have the hair fall back down into place. He hadn't even realized it when he found Lucy in the forest. He was too busy about worrying about the mage's life."It's so long."It was longer than _Erza's_!

"I haven't figured that out yet. Apparently she had gone through some changes out there. But that isn't what I wanted to show you."Wendy stalked over to Lucy and pulled the sheets."This is what I wanted to show you guys."

The girl lifted Lucy's shirt a bit. Levy and Mirajane gasped. Natsu's eyes widened. A pentagram was carved deep in her stomach, surrounded by other symbols. The carving looked semi-healed, but he couldn't still see bits of dried blood. It had been up to her ribcage, down to her thighs.

"Holy _shit_!"Gray exclaimed."What is that?"

Wendy stammered."I…I don't know. These markings are too…complicated for me to comprehend them. I was hoping you could help, Levy."

All eyes turned towards the small woman. She wasted no time running to Lucy's bedside and kneeling down next to her. Levy stared strange characters on the blonds' abdomen. She hesitantly brought her fingers to brush softly at the red skin.

"These aren't any language I know of but…."Levy spoke so softly Natsu almost didn't catch her words.

She turned; her wide eyes had pure fear shone in them.

"These are _sacrificial_ symbols."

Natsu own eyes widened.

"Okay, that's fucking _creepy_."Gray said with disgust.

"What do they mean?"Mirajane's voice was filled with horror.

Levy looked down at Lucy's body."The star here is a pentagram. It represents paganism, witchcraft, freemasonry and Gnosticism. It is the sign of the Devil. He is also referred to The Goat Demon, Satan, Lucifer, Baphomet, or Azazel. The pentagon in the represents the head of Man, and the four limbs. For Devil Worshippers, it is an honor to worship nature and Man. In Satanism, the pentagram is inverted upside down to stand for rebellion or subversion of Man. Occultists believe that the two upper triangles were Satan's horns, the horizontal triangles are his ears, and the bottom one was his goatee. This here…"Levy pointed to a symbol on Lucy's hip."Is the Sigil of Lucifer. It represents either a fallen angel or a demon. It is said that these symbols are used to summon demons. It is used to make a bond with the summoner and the demon that was summoned. The summoner had to listen to the demon's every need. They carried out their will and desire. The process of summoning a demon is very dangerous. The person summoning the demon does not control what demon that they get. Some cases, the worshipper had accidentally summoned Satan himself. Of course, it had never ended well for the person summoning the demon. Why would these be carved into _Lucy_ of all people?"

The small script mage pointed at a goat.

"This is an ancient drawing of Satan. You could tell from the pentagram imprinted on his forehead. The goat comes from very many other religions. The other markings are other wrathful symbols from Hinduism, Buddhism, Jerusalem, and an ancient Aztec religion called _Teotl_, which literally translate to 'god'. These are very old markings. I didn't think anyone even remembered these. I guess I was wrong."

The room was dead silent for a few moments.

"Who would do such a horrible thing to her?"Levy whispered.

Natsu didn't know what to say. He was furious. The marks carved into Lucy's body were sinful and wicked. To do such a terrible thing to someone…it was _unthinkable_. It was absolutely disgusting. He started to tremble in anger, and clenched his fists tightly. Who could have done this to Lucy? It was so frustrating to him he felt like pulling out his damn hair. He didn't want this for his best friend. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe from danger. But he had failed. He had failed to save his _nakama_. She was in this mess because of a stupid comment that came out of his mouth. It was his fault that Lucy was hurt. It was his fault that those terrible, evil symbols were engraved in her. Those would probably stay forever! It was his fault. His fault….

He walked over to Lucy and held her hand. From now on, he wouldn't let her out of his sight. He would stay beside her. Through Heaven and Hell he would follow this blond. Even if she turned vicious and bloodthirsty, he would stay by her side. He would never let her get hurt ever again. He promised himself. He promised her. He would _die_ for Lucy.

He felt her shift slightly. He looked up. Her brow was crinkled. She let out little noises.

"Is she having a nightmare?"Gray questioned.

"What's happening?"Erza snapped.

Lucy's hand painfully tightened around his blood covered one. Natsu gave it a little squeeze. She threw her head back and forth. Wendy rushed to her side. She put a hand on her forehead.

"She's _burning_ up."Wendy stated. She grabbed a washcloth and dipped it into a bowl of water. Gently laying it down on her head, the little girl put her ear to Lucy's chest."Her heartbeat is going crazy."

"No….Stop it….please. "Lucy whimpered in her sleep.

She started to squirm. Natsu only held her hand tighter. He whispered.

"Its okay, Lucy."

Lucy screamed and jolted awake.

* * *

Lucy screamed and darted up from the bed. The action was so quick that she fell to the side of the bed. She couldn't see anything. It was all black and dark. Dark. Why did that ring a bell? The mage must have not have remembers She heard a faint call of her name. Where was it coming from? She was scared. The blonde's breath was quick. It was a bit hard to breath. She backed away until she felt her back hit something hard. She was trapped.

"Lucy….Lucy!"

Her hearing came back. She recognized the voice that was calling her name. She slowly started to make an outline of a person.

"Natsu?"She croaked.

Her vision finally had cleared. Natsu was kneeling beside her with a worried expression on her face. Mirajane, Levy, Gray, Wendy, Gajeel, Erza, Happy, Carla, and Lily were behind him. She blinked a few times and looked around. They were in the infirmary.

"Lucy!"Happy rushed to give her a hug.

"What happened?" Her throat was sore and her voice came out a bit scratchy.

"I don't know. When I went to go look for you in the forest, I heard you scream and found you bleeding."Natsu explained.

Lucy stopped. The forest. Yes. She remembered now. She remembered the fight, the forest, the gem, the woman. She gasped. The woman! Dark! Giamia! The woman was Giamia! The one who lived four hundred years ago, and worked with Zeref!

"Natsu, it was _terrible_! There was this woman and the gem! I think I found th-"Lucy was tried to stand but hit the ground again.

Luckily Natsu caught her in time."Take it easy. You lost a lot of blood."

A sharp pain hit Lucy. She hissed in pain as she felt her lower body sting. The fire mage heard this and frowned.

Lucy lifted her shirt a bit to find markings over her stomach. Her eyes widened. She poked at one of them.

"What are these?"She whispered.

"Old markings. They were carved into you when we found you."Mirajane said.

She put her shirt back down. She was a bit frightened but she had to stay calm. Her sides throbbed painfully.

Natsu picked her up from the ground and laid her back down on the bed.

"Now, Lucy. Tell us calmly what happened."Erza's calm voice soothed her a bit.

She took in a deep breath and then started explaining what had happened. From the fight, to being stuck in Limbo with Giamia. She took her time explaining and answered the others' questions. The blond told the group about what Giamia told to Lucy about Wanderers and their magic powers. She skipped over the part where she was violently choked, not wanting her nakama to worry even more about her.

"She kept on saying something about a gem. I think she was talking about the Gem of…."Lucy trailed off.

"The Gem of the Souls."Levy quietly finished her sentence.

The blond mage nodded. It was silent. Lucy rubbed at her side, wincing every now and then. Wendy lightly tugged her hand away, giving her a look that said not to touch it.

"So….is the gem still there?"Gray wondered.

Lucy shrugged, "I don't know where it is."

Gajeel finally spoke. "It can't be there, moron. She touched it which means that the gem transferred itself to her."

The blond blinked."What do you mean, Gajeel?"

The iron mage scoffed. "You touched the gem, _right_? And Giamia said that you two were linked because you touched the gem, _right_?"

She didn't really like how he was talking to her, but she ignored it and nodded.

"Well, Levy said that the gem had parts of the whore's soul in it, so since you two are _blood_-_related_, it makes sense that she connected her soul with yours. You even said you guys were basically the same person."

Lucy was confused."I still don't think I understand what you're saying."

Gajeel rolled his red eyes."Don't you see, Bunny Girl? You and the gem have fused together. _You_ are the Gem of the Souls, now."

* * *

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN! I love leaving people waiting. It makes it fun. Thank you everyone who has taken the time out of their day to read this. I'm very sorry to anyone who has gotten offended by reading this fanfic. And no, I am not a Devil Worshipper-_- It's just that find religion very interesting to write about. I looked on very many websites to find this info. It was really hard to find.

And thank you again for reading and please leave a comment. **I will accept constructive criticism**. **If** **you** **have nothing nice to say about my story, there is something called a back button**. Thank you for reading you guys!


	3. Chapter 3: The Dreamland

**_What_ _Lies Ahead_**

**_Chapter 3: The Dreamland_**

* * *

Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing! When I saw your comments they made me go straight to the computer and start writing again. When I was listening to My Chemical Romance, it sparked my imagination at like 12:00 _fucking_ AM and I couldn't just go downstairs and start Effing typing away, so I had to write everything down before I passed out face first on my bed. Seriously. I fucking love Gerard Way. He's too amazing and funny. And I shipped Frerard harder than UPS. I love them so much! I'm sorry I am fangirling a lot. But when they broke up, those few months was HELL! It took me a while get over that. Why am I blabbering about this? I'm pretty sure you really don't care unless you are a Killjoy. I will stop now. Oh and regarding Giamia, in her name the first 'I' is silent so it is pronounced 'GA-MY-A" I know it's weird but I really like the name. Anyway thanks again for reviewing and following and shiz. Also, if anyone would be willing to be my beta reader person thing, I don't know, could you PM me? That'll be awesome.

_Disclaimer: Do you think a lowly fangirl like me would really own something as epic as Fairy Tail? I don't think so..._

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

*guy starts playing drums*

And now the moment you've all been waiting for…

Here is the 3rd chapter of WLA!

Enjoy everyone!

* * *

Lucy was speechless. Her body went frigid; the words that left Gajeel's mouth frightened her. Her world seemed to stop. She didn't know what to do, or say. How could something like this to _her_? To Lucy Heartfilia, a regular celestial spirit mage. It was too much for her. This had to be a dream. The iron mage just stared back at her, waiting for her reaction. _Am I….Am I really the Gem of the Souls, now?_

Wendy was the first to speak, "What does that mean for her?"

Gajeel shrugged, "Don't know. It can mean a lot of things."

"Like what?" Pantherlily asked.

Gajeel scratched his chin in thought. "Well, it means that the gem could kill her with the power it has. It could mean she now has the powers of the gem and Giamia. Like I said, it could mean a lot of things."

The blonde stiffened at the first statement. _I could die?_ Lucy looked to see Mirajane's eyes were saucers, and that Natsu, Gray, and Erza gaped and looking back and forth between her and Gajeel. This was not happening. This was _not_ happening. Her blood turned as cold as ice, making all the color leave Lucy's face. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and pressed the heels of her hands into them. Calm down. She needed to calm down. It wouldn't change anything if she had a meltdown right then and there. She needed to be calm and take this in like this was nothing. But this was serious. This gem inside of her is the matter between life and death. This meant anything and everything. She inhaled a deep breath and pulled her hands back.

"Can you clarify how the gem has transferred itself to me?" Lucy asked with a straight face.

Gajeel huffed,"It's not that easy to explain. Let's see, how do I explain this….fuck..."The man paused for a moment, thinking. After a moment or two, he spoke, "Okay, so you know when you touch something really hot and you pull before you even have time to react?" He waited for Lucy to acknowledge, and then continued, "Well, when you touched the gem, its energy had transport to you, before you could even react. And you said that the gem had too much power for your body to handle. That was the energy that was moving itself into you."

The blonde nodded understanding. She lifted up her hair.

"But then, what's up with my hair? And my body?" She did realize her hair was longer, but chose to ignore it. How couldn't she notice? It was giving her a headache.

Levy interjected, "Well, you said that Giamia had transferred herself into you. So since you said that you guys are alike in almost every way, it makes sense that you took on her appearance. But those markings…" The small script mage pointed to her lower body."I don't get why they are there. Where those Giamia's scars?"

Lucy grazed her fingers over them, careful not to put too much pressure on the wounds, "I have no clue. She didn't mention it when I was talking to her."

"So you said you and Giamia were stuck in Limbo? And that it's there to preserve the dead to go to the afterlife?" Gray inquired. Lucy nodded.

"So does that mean…"

The blonde motioned to the ice mage to continue.

"So does that mean you died?"

Lucy hasn't thought of it like that. She wondered if Gray was right. _Is he right? Did I really die?_ The blonde thought. Lucy shrugged.

"I guess I did die for like a few minutes or something. I don't know what to think about. But if I died then, how did I come back?" Lucy marveled.

"You couldn't have died," Natsu answered,"I heard you breathing. Though it was faint, I still heard it."

"Then, I really don't know guys. I don't think has anything to do about being a Wanderer. It might've been Giamia."

"You said that if Giamia says that you don't die, then you can't die. Unless she is willing to agree with letting her only successor to her power die, bringing her down with you. I don't think any idiot with a brain would be that dumb to let that opportunity slip." Erza deadpanned. The re-equip mage was taking this surprisingly well. She probably thought the same thing Lucy thought of. To keep a cool head about this.

"You do have a point Erza," Lucy agreed, "Giamia seemed really nice at first, but then…"She touched her neck softly, "It turned bad really quickly."

"But what are you going to do, Lucy? With that gem and Giamia fused in your body, it could destroy you! You said she needed you and your powers to take over Earthland! Her powers are too great for all of Fairy Tail _combined_. If all of us couldn't even take her on, what makes you think you could take her on, _by yourself?!_" Mirajane cried.

"I know I can't defeat her by myself. I don't think anybody could defeat her. Maybe Zeref, but why would he cooperate with Fairy Tail? After what happened in Tenrou, we are his _sworn_ enemies. Not to mention, he is the most wanted wizard in Earthland. Do you think that the famous dark mage Zeref would come to help us? I think he would be happy that we're suffering like this. Giamia was his loyal servant, turned evil. Even if he would be able to defeat her, those two fighting will destroy all of Fiore. Don't you remember when they almost caused the whole continent to go to full-scale war? Times that by 10. Millions would die if that would happen again, Mirajane. Fairy Tail is on their own for this one." Lucy retorted coldly.

"But if we don't do anythi-"

"If we don't do anything, we are saving more people from dying. We have to defeat this demon by ourselves. No Magic Council, no other guilds, nothing. I am responsible for Giamia's resurrection and the gem, so this mostly my battle. I don't want to get anybody dragged into this. This is our problem and ours alone." The blonde mage cut off the white-haired woman.

Mirajane opened her mouth to protest, but stopped. She sighed and spoke softly, "Fine. But, we aren't letting you fight her alone. You are our nakama. We will follow you through Hell and high water."

Everyone agreed. Even Gajeel grunted in acknowledgement.

"No, I don't want you guys to get involved. It's too dangerous. I know you want to help, but…if something happened to one of you….I don't think I could forgive myself." Lucy said.

Natsu furrowed his brow. "It doesn't matter if you want us to or not. We will whether you like it or not."

Lucy glared at the fire mage, but felt grateful. She crossed her arms and grumbled. "Thanks for that."

He smiled. "You're welcome!"

"But I'm still mad at you."

"Aw." The pink-haired man pouted and dropped his arms in a disappointed way.

"But I still don't get why your hair got longer and that you have those markings. Why would Giamia do that?" Wendy asked quietly.

"Like I said before, since the gem has transferred itself into Lucy, it took Giamia's powers and soul and put it with Lucy's, making ten times stronger and making her appearance change to her liking. She also said that she needed Lucy's body, so most likely Giamia is trying to claim her body as her own." Levy stated.

"Whoa, hold on. So you're saying that this...this _thing_ inside me is planning on taking my body as her own? To make me some puppet, while she pulls the strings?" Lucy repeated.

Levy nodded."I am almost certain that she is."

Lucy was dumbfounded. At first she didn't know what to say. Then rage boiled deep in the pit of her marked stomach. She gritted her teeth, her molars rubbing up against each other. Her fists clenched tightly. She was not some tool to be used! She was a person that has feelings and she refused to be treated any different. She wouldn't let this wench use her without putting up a good fight. Lucy searched the room for something sharp. Her eyes landed on a pair of scissors sitting on a medicine cabinet behind Gray.

"Gray, hand me those scissors." She pointed up at the sharp object.

The ice mage blinked."What?"

"I said, hand me the damn scissors." Lucy snarled impatiently.

"Okay, okay. Calm down, Jeez." He mumbled and reached up for the tool. He walked over to Lucy's bed and held out the scissors. She snatched them up. She grabbed her hair along with the scissors, and positioned the sharp object where her hair was originally cut.

Levy's eyes widened.

"How do you like this, bitch?" Lucy murmured to herself.

"No Lucy don't!" Levy screeched.

But it was too late.

As the blond was about to cut her lengthy hair, a sudden burst of light erupted from Lucy, sending everyone in the room backwards. The blond mage hissed in pain and dropped the object. She looked down at her trembling hands. They were red, raw, and burnt as steam risen from them. The room was filled with a smoky scent. She heard random coughs and groans. The three Exceeds floated in air, dodging the blast. Lucky bastards.

"What the hell happened?" Erza said between coughs. The mages were covered in ash from the small explosion.

" You can't alter your appearance, Lucy," Levy choked. She stood and brushed herself off, "Since, Giamia has attached herself to your body, she has more power to control you, then you can control yourself. You can't change what she has done to you. The more you change, the weaker you get. She did this on purpose, knowing you would react in a negative way. She is testing you."

Lucy glowered, "I'm not some doll that she can use and when she's done with it, throw it away!"

" I know you aren't but you have to consider your safety and ours! That magic is powerful so you shouldn't mess with it." Levy scolded.

The blond huffed and grumbled an apology for the eruption. She looked over at a soot-covered Natsu to see his hair sticking up more than usual. Lucy giggled. The fire mage glanced up at her and smiled. Lucy blushed and turned away, angrily.

Lucy's hands still stung a bit. It was a bit dumb of her to do that. She instantly regretted it as her hands suffered the consequences. She looked back down, and gasped in surprise.

They were already healing.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Wendy fretted. She took one hand into her small ash-covered one. She inspected it carefully, "They seem perfectly fine."

"But...but they were really burnt, and...they're healing by themselves." Lucy stammered.

The little girl's eyes widened and squeaked. "Really?"

"Yeah, they were burnt to a crisp." She confirmed. That was really freaky.

"Giamia said that if she doesn't give you permission to die, then you can't. That's kind of the same thing. So she heals you to keep you healthy and safe for her uprising." Levy managed to get most of the ash off but was still shaking her hair out. It was funny watching the small woman do that.

Lucy grimaced. "I don't need her help for that." She rubbed her hands together gently, afraid she might hurt them again. She touched the pads of her fingers to her palm. Her skin was so soft. She flexed her hand, and then the other.

"You should actually be grateful for that. It could really come in handy one day." The script mage said in solemn tone.

"Its kinda a pain in the ass for me to have someone in your body without permission, wouldnt you think, Levy?" The blonde snapped.

Levy gave up on cooperating with the mage and just stayed silent. Lucy was her best friend but sometimes she wanted to hit some sense into her head.

"So that means you are practically Immortal, Lucy? That's awesome! So can you live forever? Do you have any cool powers?" Natsu sounded like a kid at Christmas.

"For someone whose nakama almost died, you're awfully cheery." Lucy replied monotously.

The fire mage shut his mouth as quickly as he opened it.

"But to answer your question, no I am not Immortal. I already explained this to you. Wanderers are different than Immortals. I really don't know how, but when Giamia explained it to me, they seemed like two different things. I think...its because Wanderers can escape death, but Immortals can't die at all. They also live forever. And Wanderers also have two sides to every person. Being Immortal you're by yourself. Wanderers I think can live up until a certain period." Lucy explained.

Natsu finally understood. _Finally._

"Would you like to see a demonstration?" Lucy lifted an eyebrow.

The fire mage was confused."Um...what do you mean by demonstration?"

"Well, you really didn't see the skin so I want to show you that I can heal myself."

"If it helps you sleep at night..." Natsu said.

The blonde smirked. She grabbed the now-cooled scissors from the floor, wiping them clean on the bed sheets. She put the sharp end of the object to her pulse point."Are you sure?"

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Erza's tone was dangerously serious.

"No Luc-"

Before Natsu could finish, Lucy dragged the sharp object across her wrist, breaking the sensitive skin. The blonde mage winced at the pain. Wendy yelped and jumped back. The blood oozed slowly from her arm and stained the sheets. As the blood continued to drip onto blanket, the stain grew bigger, imitating a dark crimson flower. Lucy watched it trail down her arm. The metallic scent of blood filled her nose. Red. It is such a beautiful color. The whole world would look breath-taking in a deep, dark red. It was the color of roses, crisp apples, soft red lips, blood. Blood. Yes. Blood was beautiful. The way it can be shed in the very many ways. It's so fascinating to look at, to watch the liquid roll down her soft, ivory flesh. It was the most interesting thing that she had ever laid eyes on. Why wasn't the whole world this color? All the ugliness would be erased from this wretched world, if it was this color. Such a soft, pretty color, it was. The skin started to mend itself back together. It was amazing. She just sat there, watching her own body heal its wounds. _This magic is amazing,_ Lucy thought. And it was. Magic that could heal the caster's body. It was incredible. As the wound finished healing, the blonde looked up at the group.

"Good as new."

It was dead silent.

Then, Erza exploded.

"What the hell was that about?! Are you absolutely out of your mind?!" She bellowed. The redhead stormed over to Lucy, grabbing her by the shoulders, and shook her violently, "Did you think that little stunt you pulled was funny?! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"

Lucy snapped out of her trance.

"No! It wasn't suppose to be funny. I was showing him th-"

"I don't care what you were doing! That was fucking crazy!" The re-equip mage brought their faces closer so that their noses were practically touching. "Don't ever do that again or else I will skin you alive and use it for blanket."

Lucy nodded to afraid to speak. They might be dealing with a bloodthirsty, rogue wizard, but no one will ever be as scary as Erza.

The angry mage released Lucy harshly. She walked back over next to Mirajane, and crossed her arms, mumbling angry curses under her breath. The takeover mage patted Erza's shoulder and looked over at the blonde.

"She's right, Lucy. That wasn't necessary. You scared us."

"I...I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry." Lucy whispered softly.

_What was I thinking? Scaring my friends like that?_ The blonde thought. _I don't know what came over me. Was it really me that was doing that? But when I cut myself, it felt so...right. The blood trickling down my skin. The feel of it...it felt good. It felt...right._

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She repeated.

"I think you should rest now, Lucy." Wendy chastised. She stripped the bloody sheet from the bed, and replaced it with a fresh, new one. The little girl politely asked everyone to give the blonde mage some time to rest. Everyone filed out of the room, quietly. Gajeel sent her a dirty look and walked after Levy who looked dazed. Happy padded over and gave her a hug, hoping that she felt better. Natsu was the last one out, but paused in mid-step. He turned around.

"Wendy, can I have a moment with Lucy please?"

The wind mage opened her mouth, then quickly shut it. She nodded and reached for the door. The girl closed the door with s soft click.

"What do you want?" Lucy barked.

"I'm sorry for saying that stuff earlier today. I didn't mean to say it. I was just...I was scared. And I didn't know what to do. I thought I could talk the most sense into you , out of everyone. You are the smartest in the group. But, I forgot you where stubborn," Lucy shot him a glare for that comment. He laughed and walked over to her bed, kneeling down beside her,"I'm sorry for saying that to you, I'm sorry that you're mad at me, I'm sorry that you are in this mess, and got hurt because of me. I'm sorry that that thing is inside of you now. I'm sorry, Lucy."

She continued to have a frown on her face. His words were true and she knew it. She considered this for a moment and wondered about the pros and cons on forgiving him. Finally giving up her tough guy act, the blonde smiled softly at the pink- haired man's many apologies, "Oh, Its alright, Natsu. You didn't mean to say it. You were just in the heat of the moment, that's all. I thought that that's why you said it. But, thank you for apologizing."

Natsu grinned happily and wrapped his hand around Lucy's. She clutched his hand tightly in his bloody one.

"Just promise not to cut yourself again. I don't want you turning all emotional on me, you know." The fire mage grazed the base of his thumb aagainst her pulse point, sending shivers down her spine.

"It's a promise." Lucy chuckled.

Natsu gave her hand one last squeeze and released it. He headed towards the door, and grabbed the handle.

"Wait!" Lucy blurted out.

Natsu stopped and faced the mage.

"I'm sorry for making you worry about me. And getting you all dirty. Thank you so much for saving my life. I owe you everything. " The blonde spoke gently.

Natsu looked down at his clothes. He had totally forgotten to change out. He felt icky and dirty. But as long as Lucy was safe it didn't matter. He looked back up and gave her a thumbs-up and his signature grin.

"Anything for my nakama." The fire mage confessed.

Those four words made Lucy's heart pound madly. Heat rose slowly to her cheeks. This Dragon Slayer was something else. He always knew what to say to comfort her. She liked it.

"You should get some sleep now."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, it's been a long day." The blonde mage was absolutely exhausted. It was making it hard to keep her eyelids from closing. Plus, she has lost a lot of blood in one day. Lucy pulled the sheets up to her chin, ready to fall asleep.

Natsu flicked the light switch, making the room dark. He looked back at her, then closed the door behind him.

Lucy closed her slowly. Through all the horror of having someone invade her body, loosing a massive amount of blood, possibly facing the most deadliest wizard in history, and most likely endangering her nakama; she just wanted to sleep.

* * *

The smell of pollen filled Lucy's nose. She felt something tickle her face. She cracked an eye open and looked around. Quickly, realizing where she was, she darted up from the soft ground. This isn't Fairy Tail! The blonde glanced down to see that she was wearing the same dress she had on when she met Dark. She turned to the side to find Giamia, glancing back at her, sitting there quietly. Lucy gasped in surprise and pressed a hand to her heart. "You scared me!"

She smiled. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry," She leaned back on her elbows, still keeping eye contact with the teen, "What did you tell your friends when you got back?"

"I told them everything. Except, for the part where you almost choked me to death. You know, you got some serious problem, and I think you need some kind of mental therapy. Even though you are dead, doesn't make it okay to go around choking you for that, by the way." Lucy spat.

Giamia's eyes lit up like stars. She sniffed dramatically and said, "That is the nicest thing you have ever said to me. Thank you so much."

The mage shot her a dirty look. Apparently, she thought she was funny making these jokes.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Lucille," The woman said. "Anyway, did you like the new arrangements that I've made? They add quite nicely to your body. I think you look prettier with your hair longer.

The blonde glared at her for a brief moment, then turned away. "Yes I did see your new " arrangements". I don't get why you had to change my hair and put those scars on me. I don't really appreciate being a canvas for your demonic voodoo crap."

"Voodoo?" Giamia furrowed her brow at the word. She smiled again, this one with more life to it. Then she started to giggle, which turned into hearty laughter.

"What's so funny?" Lucy frowned.

"You make up the most funniest accusations, Lucille." The woman said between laughs. Lucy gave up on correcting the other female on her name. It was weird, but Lucy felt the corner of her mouth turn upwards. It was amusing watching a deadly wizard act like a normal person.

Giamia put a hand over her mouth, trying to contain her mirth, but failed. Lucy just watched as her laughter died out. She glanced around. They were sitting in an endless field filled with various colorful wildflowers. She felt a soft breeze blow through her golden hair. Lucy sneezed, catching pollen in her sensitive nose.

"Bless you."

Lucy thanked the older woman. "Where are we? Are we in Limbo? It's a lot more...cheery than when I last visited."

Giamia shook her head. "No we aren't in Limbo. The only reason we were there last time, was because you had a Seventh Dream. Only people that are on...how do you call it... On their "death bed" only get sent to Limbo. We are inside of you now."

Lucy blinked. "Huh? Inside of me?"

" Well, really we are inside of your brain. Our brain, I guess. But this is your side, so I don't really like to come here that often." The woman said.

"My sid...What are you talking about, Giamia?" The blonde mage was absolutely lost.

Giamia sighed. "Apparently, I need to explain some things to you. And I would prefer you not to call me Giamia, please. Just call me Dark."

Lucy nodded, and waited for Dark to continue.

"When I say, your side of the brain, I literally mean your side of the brain. We need out privacy, Lucille. We are both girls. Anyway, since I am also sharing this body with you-"

"Against my will, I might add." Lucy interrupted.

"-that means that we get different sides of the brain," Dark chose to ignore the comment and continued, "The lungs, the heart, and the body are also shared with the other side. It's hard to explain. Its not like you control one side of the body, and I control the other. It doesn't work like that. Being a Wanderer gives you limited privileges to the rightful owner's body. To the " intruder", the body of the owner is a vessel to them. Basically, a place to live. So you and I have different places to live. You live this happy, lively place, while I live in a darker place with hidden secrets."

"But why would I live in here? First of all, I live in an apartment on Strawberry Street, in Earthland. Second, I'm allergic to wildflowers," Lucy sneezed again, "Don't get me wrong, it's very beautiful, but I don't think I would want myself to suffer like this."

The woman shrugged her shoulders, "You don't get to pick out how you want it. This land is based off your personality. This is your Dreamland, your Cloud Nine. This is your version of Heaven. This is where you escape to when you are awake and asleep. When you daydream, your mind is literally up in the clouds. Your mind is exploring other places that it hasn't been. Even if we use a little bit of our brain, it could hold millions of ideas, in that small area. Has anyone ever told you that you only use ten percent of brain?" Dark waited for Lucy's answer. She nodded, wanting the woman to continue, "Well, when you're asleep you use more than five times of that. When you are asleep, you use fifty-six percent of your brain! That is because when you are sleeping, your brain has more time to process the information that it needs. Most of the time when you dream, you don't really remember it the next morning or the memory is kind of fuzzy. That's because your brain was working so fast, that when you wake up the following morning, your brain immediately starts slowing itself back down again. In your sleep, you explore the other restricted places that you can't "get" into when you are awake. Sometimes, when you have really abnormal dreams, that is your mind wandering, and exploring all over. It wants to know more about itself and the things it does not know! Also time goes slower in your Dreamland, so what felt like five hours, in reality it is twenty minutes! So you could have thousands of dreams, and only remember one or two! People say when you sleep, your body and brain shut down. But that is the complete opposite of what it does! So this Dreamland is a manifestation of your mind, asleep and awake. It's very beautiful how your mind works, even if you are not aware of it. The science of sleep is still unknown to most scientists today. The human body is such an amazing thing to study and wonder about. So many unknown secrets ate still wondered about the human body. We are unpredictable creatures with many surprises!"

Lucy was fascinated by these facts. She had always read stuff about this in books, but to learn the real truth...it was so interesting! She listened to every word Dark had said, and took it to memory. Now that Lucy thought about it, Giamia was very similar to her, personality-wise too. They both loved to learn new things and listened with a smile on their faces.

"That's really cool. I didn't know there was so much science to something as basic as sleeping!" Lucy exclaimed.

"There is a lot of scientific facts to everything, Lucille dear. It just depends on whether you are smart enough to examine things closer than what meets the eye." The woman beamed.

"Wow." The blonde laid back down on the earth, picking at a blade of grass with her fingers,"Science is a beautiful thing to learn."

"Indeed. Everything in this world is alive because of science. It's the thing that keeps you on your toes. It's the thing that keep the world moving. It even is the thing that allows you to eat at suppertime!" Giamia giggled.

Lucy let out a little chuckle along with her. They sat like that for a while, in a comfortable silence. Dark closed her eyes, as the wind started to pick up again. Lucy looked up at her, and studied her carefully. How could someone this nice, be one of the most deadliest mages on the planet. She acted like any other teen looked. Lucy guessed that Giamia was about 19 or 20 when she died, judging by her appearance. She was beautiful. She was gorgeous. This person was perfect in every single way imaginable. But there was only one flaw...

She was a cold-blooded murderer.

"Why did you do it?" Lucy blurted out suddenly.

Dark looked startled by the sudden outburst, and gazed down." Why did I do what?"

Lucy sat back up, and bit her lip. She didn't want to say it, but she knew that Giamia wouldn't let it go.

"Why did you murder all those people? Why did you take so many lives for Zeref?" Lucy said.

The woman's face fell and she turned her face away. The blonde waited for her answer. It felt like forever before the woman spoke again.

"Because I loved him."

Lucy didn't know what to say. It was because of love? Love? She killed millions of people because of _love?_ It was the stupidest thing she had ever heard.

"Correction. I _still_ love him. But he didn't expect me for who l am. He wanted me to become stronger, saying I was too weak to join his lied to me and said we would be together forever, and take over Earthland together. He said I would be his queen. That made me feel unexpectionally happy. So I did what I had to do to make that happen," Giamia wrapped her arms around herself with a sad expression on her face, "He used me to get what he wanted. He wanted power and magic. So much power to conquer anyone and everyone. And he took advantage of my blind loyalty to use that against others. I regret deeply what happened, and blame everything on myself. The only reason I am back now is because I want to return the love and affection Zeref gave to me in that short period of time."

Dark let a dreamy smile settle on her face. But her eyes showed hatred, jealously, and burning rage.

"I want to show him how much I love him."

Lucy didn't respond to Giamia's sudden love confession. The blonde felt pity for the woman. It must've been hard being used like that, but in the end receiving nothing. But that was still unacceptable that she killed people for that reason. Maybe...maybe Giamia wasn't as bad as everyone said after all.

Lucy shook her head. No. She was still a criminal. She couldn't let her off the hook that easily.

"But why would you kill so many innocent people over love? They were good people, who weren't even involved with magic. But you killed them without a second thought." The blonde spat harshly.

The woman looked up at the teen's scowling face. She gave a little sad smile. She reached her hand up to stroke Lucy's cheek, but she jerked her face away from Dark's grasp. The woman pulled away, an expression of hurt etched on her face.

"You've never been in love, Lucy. You have never been so madly in love with a person, that that you would give them the world if they asked you. I know you haven't. Because if you did then you would know why I did it. Why I stained my hands with the blood of innocent people, even children. Yes, I did it for love. And I'm deeply ashamed for it. That I was used as a tool for world domination, that ended up failing in the end." Giamia spoke with a somber tone.

Lucy regretted her harsh comment. But that didn't mean that she would go that easy on the woman.

"And what about these symbols on me? Were they yours? Are you a Devil Worshipper?" Lucy decided to change the subject.

"No, I am not a Devil Worshipper. Like I said before, I did what I had to do to earn Zeref's blessing. I was desperate. He wanted me to become stronger, even though I was already one of the strongest mages in Earthland. So to make that happen, I sold my soul to the Devil. Those scars were him marking me as His property. I will be forever and eternity." Dark said.

Lucy was baffled. "But then, how are you here today? You said that your soul was fused into the gem. You couldn't escape a contract with Lucifer. It absolutely impossible!"

"You are a smart girl for remembering that, " She complimented. "You are right. A contract with Satan is unbreakable. Once you make a contract with Him, you are marked his forever. But I knew that would happen. I wanted my legacy to live on, so before I made the contract with Him, I put a piece of my soul into the Gem of the Souls. But somehow, He found out that I had taken my soul out and went berserk. He has been looking for the gem for the last 400 years to rightfully claim what is His."

"But then, He's still looking for it till this day, right?" The blonde gasped realizing what that meant for her.

Dark glanced at her and smiled. "That's right. So that means, that Lucifer is looking for you now."

Lucy's stomach dropped to her feet. Her heart beat increased. Dark continued to smile down at her, her eyes two dark orbs. Her hands clenched into a patch of grass. She felt fear, angry, confusion, and regret raging in her chest. How could this happen! Two days ago, everything was perfectly fine, and now...this! How could the most powerful demon be looking for Lucy? Lucy Heartfilia, who is a standard mage in the well-known guild Fairy Tail. Lucy who had been neglected by her father for so many long, torturous years. Lucy who had a normal life with good friends, up until a few days ago. Now even Satan Himself was looking for her?! It was ludicrous! By having these symbols on her, she was endangering her friends back at Fairy Tail. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. This was madness! Lucifer will come looking for her now, and possibly killing her nakama along with her! Why was this happening. What did she do so wrong to deserve this Hell? Lucy just wanted everything to go back to how they were. With a happy-go-lucky team, and a cheery guild. That is how she wanted the rest of her life to continue. But, she knew her life would never be back to normal after this. She knew that maybe, she wouldn't be alive after this! It scared her. The blonde just wanted to go hide in a corner, and weep. But she refused to show weakness in front of Giamia.

After she had a moment to think about this, Lucy faced the woman.

"You're a monster."

Dark tilted her head and said. "Why, what ever do you mean Lucille, darling?"

Lucy sat up and fully faced the female. "You did this on purpose. You made me touch the gem, knowing Lucifer would come after me. You were the mastermind behind the Onibus robbery, weren't you? You did this on purpose to make me your puppet, your slave to conquer the world. You knew that we can't defeat Lucifer. So you set me up. But, I refuse to even let _Him_ take me down. Do you really think I would let you win that easily? No. I'm going to take _you_ down. I won't let you take over my body, for you to use it to take over the world. Fairy Tail will defeat you, even if it _kills_ us. It is our job to keep Fiore safe, as a guild. That is what signed up for when we joined. Not for the magic, or friends, or even family. We do what we do to protect what we love, and that is Fiore. I swear on the Heartfilia name, that I will take you down, even if it means taking my own life."

Lucy waited for Giamia reaction, thinking that she would be in a heap of trouble.

But instead, the woman's smile widened.

The blonde was surprised. She expected to be beatened, choked, maybe yelled at. She had not expect the other mage to smile at her.

Dark looked down at a small, yellow wildflower. She reached down and picked the weed. The woman brought it to her face and examined it closely, the grin never faltering. After a minute or to in silence, she finally spoke.

"Do you see this flower, Lucille?" She asked softly.

Before Lucy could register the question, Giamia continued.

"It makes me think of you. It is small, fragile, and so very beautiful," She twirled the stem in her fingers. "You say that your guild will defeat me, huh? That you well take me down? That you will take _Lucifer_ down? You say very bold things, Lucille. That's what I like about you. You are just as stubborn and naive as I was when I was your age. Let's say this flower represents the will of a person," Dark explained. "You see...to break someone's will, is like breaking that person completely. It is a very fragile thing, that needs love and care and compassion. To break it renders the person completely vulnerable to others. And when that will breaks to tiny pieces..." Giamia closed her hand into a tight fist, crushing the flower along with it. Steam rised slowly from her hand. She reopened her hand, to have a pile of smoky ash in her palm. "Will allow you to take total control of that person."

She tilted her hand to let the ash fall to the green earth. The woman fixed her cold gaze to Lucy's.

Fear bubbled up in her stomach, causing her mouth to have a sickening taste to it. She ignored it and continued to stare the other woman down. No words were exchanged, just the intense, dark look that came from both females. One filled with smoldering rage, and the other empty and emotionless. _This woman... No, this creature is dangerous. She doesn't even deserve the privileges of being a human being with real emotion._ Lucy thought. She hated her. Her hate burned so brightly in her heart, that she thought it would explode. The blonde stood up, and brought her face so close to Giamia, that she felt her breath against her skin.

"If you think you could break me, then you are sorely mistaken. I will make sure that you never escape my body or take it over. You are in my body now. So that means that we will play by my rules. You may be a great and powerful wizard, but Fairy Tail will defeat you. I will defeat you. You will never claim Earthland as your own, no matter how hard you try. Because I will make sure that will never happen. Not in this lifetime, and not in the next. You and Zeref will die for what you want. But, don't worry. I will make sure that you will both die together, so that you get to die with your true love. I may be mean, but I am not heartless. Unlike you."

Lucy turned away and began walking out toward the field.

"Wait." Dark instructed.

The blonde stopped and whirled around. "What?"

"You said that I was the mastermind behind the robbery yesterday, correct? Well, I must assure you that I wasn't the person who broke myself out of the warehouse. Someone else did it." She replied

"Really? Who?" She was confused. If it wasn't Giamia, then who robbed the warehouse?

"I couldn't have done it. I was inside the gem remember?" She stated. "Maybe I was wrong about you being so smart."

Before Lucy could retort at the rude comment, the woman continued.

"It must have been a skilled cult or organization that idolizes me. There are many of them around here. Zeref wasn't the only dark mage in Fiore, you know." Giamia answered.

"I know that, but I thought you said whoever touched the gem has the powers _of_ it." Lucy told her.

"No, silly girl. The reason the gem and I transferred to you, was because you were the rightful heir to my throne. No random person can have the powers of the gem. Not even Zeref. You have my blood running through your veins. The power must be inherited, and I made sure that that had happened. It is impossible to have the powers of the gem, without rightfully owning it." The mage said.

"But then, who were the people that robbed the warehouse? Do you know?"

Dark huffed, getting quite frustrated. "I have already told you, Lucille. I haven't the slightest clue who were the thieves."

Lucy frowned. That wasn't a very satisfying answer to her. She should staring out of the field for a few moments. _This place really is beautiful,_ Lucy thought, _Its too bad its not real. I think I would've brought Team Natsu here for a visit._ It would be nice to go on a mini-vacation every now and then. But with everything going on now, she knew it was stupid to even_ consider_ going on a vacation. It was time for battle, not for relaxing.

"Oh, and one more thing, Dark," Lucy called. The woman turned to glance at the blonde. She raised an eyebrow, a gesture for her to continue to speak.

"If you ever hurt a hair on any of my friends in Fairy Tail..." Her voice was firm, and held no hesitation.

"I will kill you, with showing no mercy. I will personally drag you back down to Hell, and make sure will pay for the crimes that you've committed." And with that, Lucy turned her back towards Dark, and began walking. She did not know where, because this was her Dreamland, but away from the dangerous mage.

Giamia smiled and said very softly,

"That's the spirit, Lucy."

* * *

Natsu came out of the small run-down bathroom in the guild. Happy had gotten him a fresh new pair of clothes, which he was grateful to the Exceed for doing that. He had went into the bathroom to scrub the blood that stained his hands. He tried to get most of it of, but his hands were still a bit red and dirty. He decided to leave it and walked out to the guild hall. Everyone was still there, worrying about Lucy. Gajeel was just there because he was Wendy's ride home, and Pantherlily wanted to tag along. They couldn't have cared less.

Erza was sitting in a chair, still sulking from the Lucy-cutting-herself indicident from earlier. Mirajane was at the bar, nervously cleaning beer glasses. Gray, Levy, and Wendy were discussing more about Giamia and her true intentions on ruling Earthland. Natsu growled. He didn't like this Giamia chick at all. Frankly, to him, she seemed like an attention whore. And he didn't like attention whores. He swept his gaze around the small group. They all looked pretty tired. Why wouldn't they be? Their friend almost died today, and it was already 2 AM! He thought that he would head on home, but he would seem guilty not sticking by his nakama. He decided to just stay there for the night. Maybe in the morning, Lucy would feel a bit better. He doubted it, but he hoped for the best.

The guild doors suddenly bursted open.

"First Master, I told you so many times, I am not getting swimming pool for the guild! It costs money, and the brats would probably destroy it in the first week."

"But Sixth Master, its been getting really hot and you know I can't stand the heat! Please!"

"For the last and final time, N-"

The hall went quiet as the two intruders busted in here. The arguing stopped mid-sentence.

Then, everyone tackled the two to the ground.

"Gramps! Master Mavis!" They cried. Makarov was surprised by the sudden bear hug. Mavis stood there not knowing what to do. He recovered and struggled against the mages' grip.

"Alright, alright get off me!" He snapped. "What are you brats doing here so early in the morning? I didn't expect anybody here this late."

"Oh Gramps we've missed you so much!"

"I totally forgot that you left, Master."

"Oh, it was terrible! Lucy she-"

Mirajane cut off, aware she almost slipped. The Master raised his bushy eyebrows.

"What happened to Lucy?"

It was silent. They didn't know how to explain the accident about Lucy and Giamia. Mavis sat there looking innocent and confused. How do they explain that their nakama almost died today? Or yesterday? Its not an easy thing to break it to someone. Wendy stepped forward.

"Um, Master? Have you heard about...the dark mage, Giamia?"

Mavis seemed to stiffen at the name. Makarov's eyes widened. "Yes, I have. And where did you hear this name, little one?"

The small girl looked up at Natsu. Her eyes were giving him a look that said 'help me'. He hesitated for a moment and then turned to face the two masters. He inhaled a deep breath.

"Something happened to Lucy." He stated.

"What happened to Lucy?" He repeated.

The fire mage opened his mouth to speak. But, Erza swiftly cut him off.

"Maybe you should come in. We will explain everything." Her voice was calm.

The redhead led the short old man and the small woman to a nearby table. Once they were settled, Erza explained everything that happened in an orderly manner. She didn't leave a single detail out. It was important to tell the master everything, hoping that he could help with the situation. Both of the elders listened carefully, and with a blank expression. They seemed to be fine with the news so far. But Natsu was afraid what will happen after that. Erza had finished explaining, and sat there, staring at Makarov and Mavis. It was silent for a while, as both of them had processed the news. Mavis's wide green eyes stared into space, while the old man sat there, expressionless.

"I leave for three days, and you kids manage to have one of deadliest wizards in history, living inside one of your nakama's body." Makarov said. He let out a chuckle. "You brats will really be the death of me."

The first master was still quiet, in a state of shock. She didn't no what to say, and Natsu didn't blame her. It was a very hard thing to process. The little man climbed down the chair, clasping his hands behind his back. He looked at Mavis and cleared his throat.

"What do you think, First Master?" He questioned.

Mavis snapped back to reality, and glanced down at the small man. "We'll...Giamia was a very powerful enemy during my time. I never really knew much about her, but she was a threat to Fairy Tail. Zeref and Giamia were allies at the time, so they worked together very closely. I did some investigating and I actually tried to catch them myself. But...I was too late to do anything. I had waited too long to plan an attack. They already had killed so many people. And together... They were unstoppable. It was so terrifying that I couldn't do anything. And...to hear that she's back again...I don't know."

The master nodded and faced the worried eyes of his children.

"Alright, brats. Listen up and listen good. This wizard is highly dangerous and no laughing matter. With the Magic Council looking for that gem, its not safe for Lucy to be out in the open anymore. She has to leave Fairy Tail. We all have to leave Fairy Tail. Even if they have no idea what's going on, they still go with us. No questions asked. Because if the Magic Council even thinks that this guild has anything to do with the gem, they will find us. And most likely kill us. I cannot protect you all from the Council. I have a few people that I can trust to take care of us. I'm sorry. But we are doing this for one of our nakama. We cannot let Lucy is our first and only priority from now on. She will not take a walk without one of you accompanying her. She will not think of leaving the safe house. And most importantly, she will never use the power of the gem for anything. Even if we are on the verge of death, you all have to make sure that none of this happens. If they catch her, we will all be executed at once. Every last one of us. No interrogation, no trial, nothing. This is very serious. Our lives are in danger now. But, you must protect Lucy with your life. If that gem gets in the wrong hands, or she awakens her true powers, it will be the end of Fiore as we know it." Makarov finished in a quiet voice.

Natsu was astonished. Leave Fairy Tail?! That was crazy! How could he leave his one and only home, that he had grown up in? It felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest, and repeatedly stomped on it. He covered his shaking hands to his face. It was terrifying. He was terrified. This is probably the first time that Natsu had been so afraid of something. It wasnt a good feeling. He was afraid for his guild, his life, Lucy. He was afraid for Lucy. The blonde was the one who should really be afraid. She had to be. With being related to a violent wizard, and being the most wanted woman in Fiore, that had to be a lot of stress on her. Oh my God. This wasn't happening to them.

He pulled his trembling hands away, and saw the rest of them were just as shaken up as him. Erza looked mortified, which actually surprised the fire mage. Her face was deathly pale, a rare sight that he has never seen, except when she was fight Jellal at the Tower of Heaven. Mira had let out a choked sob. Wendy clung to her maroon dress with an iron grip. She was also in a state of shock. The only one who didn't look like they just stared Death right in the eyes, was Gajeel. His eyes were wide and his hands were in tight fists. Other than that, he looked fine. Gosh, how can he so fine with this? Everyone was scared.

"I'm sorry," Makarov replied grimly, "but this is the way it has to be. We can't live here anymore."

Those words made Natsu's eyes sting. But...they couldn't leave Fairy Tail. They can't. This was the place were friendships were made, were they had so many adventures. They laughed here, and they cried here. Natsu wanted it to stay like that. Why...why was this happening? Why?

He felt a small tap on his shin. The Salamander glanced down to find Happy looking up at him. The Exceed didn't have tears in his eyes, he just...stared at him with emptiness and loss. He must've been taken this hard too. Of course he would. This is where he was born and grew up. But, this small cat looked up at him, his wide eyes two black holes.

"Its for Lucy, Natsu," Happy said, his voice soft and understanding, "We have to do this. For her. And for all of us. It may be hard to let go, but we can do it. Our family means everything. So we have to protect them, until the last breath. And you know that just as well as I do."

Natsu held the small cat's gaze. He was right. This was for them. For his nakama. Happy, who cried over the littlest things, had helped him see what he was fighting for by that one sentence. That statement had helped him to find the bit of courage he had left and stood up for his friends. His family. His life. As long as he had his nakama, he was unstoppable. They are the reason why he was here today. If Fairy Tail never had existed, he would probably either still be wandering that small forest, looking for Igneel, or he could most likely be dead. This guild meant so much to him. Bit his family meant more. And he did know that.

The pink-haired man smiled and kneeled down to the small Exceed. He placed his rough hand of top of Happy's head, and ruffled the blue fur.

"You're right, buddy. We will do it for Lucy. We'll do it for the guild, and we'll all make it out alive. And when this all blows over, you and me will go catch a fish bigger than Magnolia! Then, we could have a big feast with everyone," Natsu exclaimed, "Would you like that?"

Happy's eyes immediately brightened, "I would love that!"

The pink-haired man gave him another smile, and patted his head again. He stood and turned towards the small group.

"Master, I am willing to do this. If its for my nakama, my family, then I will do whatever it takes. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is the right thing to do. It might not be smart going against the Council's orders, but it's a risk we have to take. Not just for Lucy, but for all of Fairy Tail. I hate leaving this guild, I really do. This is the place where I grew up, where I had so many adventures with all of you, but there is no Fairy Tail without family. Our family. And to protect our family, we have to do this," He looked at the small master, "I am willing to put my life on the line. I will do whatever to save Lucy. But, it's up to the rest of you to decided."

At the sound of Natsu's words, the guild was silent.

After a moment, Gajeel was the first to speak, "You really are an idiot. We don't get to choose if we want to do this or not. This is Fairy Tail's problem, which means that this is all of our problem. Like you said, we have to protect our family, so we have to do this. It doesn't matter if you want to do this. It doesn't matter if you don't want to do this. All that matters, is that we can protect the things that we love."

"He's right," Mira recovered and spoke with an unwavering voice, "When I said I would follow Lucy through Hell and high water, I wasn't saying that to comfort her. We are all responsible for protecting our family, so we have to this."

"It doesn't matter about the guild," This time it was Erza who spoke, "Our family is the guild. O without our family, there is no Fairy Tail. We have to protect the guild with our dear lives. Whether we like it or not."

"We are doing this to keep Fairy Tail alive," Gray said, "That is what matters here. Screw the Magic Council, and their order. We are doing this for our nakama."

Makarov looked up at his children with teary eyes. He really had raised them well, "So who will do this for Fairy Tail?!"

"Hell yeah, baby! I'm all fired up!"

"Aye sir!"

"Through Hell and high water."

"Carla and I will!"

"Of course. This is war."

"Levy, Gajeel, and I will do it."

"Hmph. What else could we do?"

Natsu felt a burst of pride for his guildmates. He respected them for showing that they would throw away their lives for a friend. It really meant a lot to him. He knew he could count on them.

"Alright brats! Your first mission is to gather everyone and meet us back here at eight o' clock, sharp! The First Master and I have a few people that we have to call. Now, don't stop until you find everyone. Do you understand?" The master ordered.

"Yes sir!" Everyone said.

"Good! Now go and don't stop for anything! Eight o' clock sharp!" He called after the retreating group. He turned towards Mavis, "Let's go, First Master."

Mavis looked at him, panic in her pale green eyes, "Y-yes."

She hopped down from the chair and followed Makarov to his office.

Wendy and Carla were the last ones out of the guild. Carla stood there looking at the big guild doors, her brown eyes wide.

"Carla, what's wrong?" Wendy asked. She held the door open turning her gaze towards the small white cat. At the sound of Wendy's voice, she snapped head her to look at the little girl. She gave a weak smile.

"Oh, nothing Wendy. Come on, let's go find the others." She said.

The small Dragon Slayer's eyes had conflict in them. She knew that Carla wasn't telling her the truth. She decided to brush it off and maybe ask her later. Wendy ran out of the guild, with the Exceed trailing behind her.

_Oh my goodness,_ Carla thought, _What in God's name did I just see?_

* * *

OMG that was the longest chapter I have ever written. I'm trying to make Giamia a funny, sadistic, smart dark wizard or something. I love her so much. She is probably my favorite character even she can be a bitch.

Anyway school is over and me and my friends ran out of the school yelling "WE DID IT GUYS! WE HELD ON TILL MAY!" from the song Hold On Till May from Pierce The Veil. Aw I'm free! I'm free at last! I hate school. You just don't know how much I do.

Okay but **I will accept constructive criticism. If you have nothing nice to say just leave. Just...just go. **Well thanks for reading and please review.

Bye bye!


	4. Chapter 4: The Vision

**_What Lies Ahead_**

**_Chapter 4: The Vision_**

* * *

I am a terrible person.

Sorry that this is late. I recently moved to my dad's for the summer and its been hectic. OK enough of the excuses, lets move on.

OH AND ALSO thank you so much to **Darkwarrior1010**. Your review was very very VERY helpful. I've been lacking confidence in this story, but I'm going to make it work. Oh and regarding Giamia, remember she is a Wanderer too so she has two people living inside of her also! I try really hard on this story, this chapter especially. I am not only thanking her, but all of you that are supporting this story. You guys make it worth all the sleepless nights that i put up with. When you guys review, whether it is nice or giving me advice, I cherish it a lot, which pushes me more to write.

Anyway...

Ok I think I am going to start putting up warnings because in the beginning of this chapter is a bit...nasty. No sex, but um... yeah. I don't know if I should change the rating on this story or not. Can you guys please tell me if I should or not? Also, I might MIGHT change the adventure category to horror. If you don't agree then just review or PM me. That'd be great.

_Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, the awesomeness of it would be multiplied by 23... I don't even know where that number came from, but whatever._

**Warning: A bit of gore, and graphic yucky stuff. Um... if you have a weak stomach or whatever, I suggest you not read ahead. Just like skip over the italics part if you don't take blood and stuff very well. I studied up on the gore part, so I hope it's not too long or whatever. Ok I'm done now.**

**The girl's POV in the beginning of the story is Lucy. I avoided putting her name in the beginning for a reason. Just telling you now in case some of you guys get confused. I don't think you guys would have a problem figuring that out because it's pretty obvious but... I don't know I'll just shut up now.**

ONWARD TO THE STORY

* * *

_Cold, pure darkness. That is all my eyes could find. Nothing, but the pitch-black air. I open my mouth to speak, but as the place I am in, nothing came out.____ I can't touch it, feel it, or taste the black nothing that is in front of me. I feel my emotions, crashing at me all at once. They flood into me; like water rushing from a broken dam._ I feel all of my negative emotions rage furiously inside of me, feeling hate, anger, jealously, confusion, sadness. But, there is one emotion that sticks out from all the rest, the intensity of it alarms me. I could feel the power that it gives off, this feeling that I have is one that I have felt before. It feels strange and foreign, yet I know this feeling, I know it like the back of my hand. 

_It clutches my weak heart with an iron grip and sharp claws, tearing, nipping at the soft, sensitive flesh. I try to move my limbs, but no matter how hard I try to scream for help, try to get up from the frigid ground, I end up failing hopelessly. I feel numb throughout my arms and legs, and I can't move. I am stuck in my own body.  
_

_I let out a small grunt as I continuously try to move and walk. I did not like to be alone in this darkness, and so I do not stop my struggle to break free. I was beginning to feel frustrated, and let out a silent growl. The icy pain proceeded to spread itself throughout my motionless form. I might as well be a decomposed skeleton in my current condition._

_My head throbs painfully. I want to reach up and nurse it, but by being unable to move, I could not do anything. I am confused, and wondering why I am here stuck to the ground and in the freezing, inky nothingness. I want to move, to go back home to my friends. Why am I here? What is this place? How did I get here? These questions are ones that I cannot answer. I blink a few times for my eyes to adjust better to the obsidian dark. _

_I feel so cold and empty, like if someone had stolen something precious from me. My frail heart feels like a light-weight in my chest, I hear the continuous thump in my ears, sounding like a soft beating drum. I open my mouth again, desperate to call for someone–anyone–to come and save me from this black Hell. I hear something faint. I strain to listen to the unknown source turning my head ever so slightly, even though my body could not move. The voice was muffled and fuzzy, making it hard to make out.  
_

_Each passing second that I force myself to listen, my hearing sharpens, the voice becoming easier to hear. It was still very hard to hear, but now I could tell that the voice was trying to communicate._

_It was screaming._

_The wails and moans that I heard made me panic, wanting to go find the person screaming. My heart beating fast, the blood rushing through my veins filled with adrenaline. I have to go and find them, rescue them, and get both of us out of here. I try to move my limbs, desperately. I thrash and twist my body, attempting to break my uncomfortable, immobile state. Even though it was starting to hurt to move and fail miserably, I continued to move my body, refusing to give up. I try again, and again, and again to get up and go. I bring my arms up, and push myself up from the floor with my legs, and start moving towards the voice._

_The piercing whimpers and weeping of the voice hurt my ears. It pains me to hear the distressing cries of the person or persons that are in danger. I am guessing they are in danger from the screaming and crying. I try to quicken my pace, but with the coal-black blankness, it was hard for me to determine where the cries were coming from. I am starting to get a bit frustrated, because I am lost and confused about my location. But, I continue to proceed forward. I trip over the white dress that I am wearing. I do not care that I have no idea how it got on, so I move on._

_My running turned into limping, as my legs have not fully recovered from their frozen prison. Taking fast steps, I pitifully limp towards the sound of the voice. The screams become louder and louder, making me more desperate to find the source of the voice. My breaths are quick and shallow, the atmosphere here is heavy and cold, the walls closing in on me, causing my lungs to tighten uncomfortably. I ignore the tightness in my lungs, and continue to move forward. I cannot stop for anything. I mustn't stop until I find this person._

_I am not sure if it is a man or a woman calling me by their voice, but it does not matter at this point; the only thing that truly matters to me, is rescuing the wailing person, and getting both of us out of this black oblivion. I do not know why I am trying so hard for someone or something that I do not know. I just... feel like I have to do this. For both of our sake's. I don't care who this person is. I must save them, either way._

_An excruciating pang across my lower body, causing me to wince and fall down face-first. My cheek hit the black floor, feeling the cold ground against my face. The cold actually felt good against my throbbing skin, but I cannot just lay here doing nothing. The shrieks were urging me to get up, and help. Again, I shakily bring my arms up, and push my weight off the ground. The blow to the head shook my brain inside my skull, my dizziness throwing off my balance completely. I try to find my footing, staggering forward almost falling yet again. After one final rub to the head, I carry on with my journey._

_ As my legs start to recover, I dash into the dark, tripping over my own feet at times. Other voices fill my head, other than the one screeching. They are telling me to continue forward, and not to turn back... or else the darkness will consume me.  
_

_The voices in my head become louder, carving their words inside of my skull. Run, run, run. I can't stop running, or else they will come for me. The Monsters of the Dark will come for me. I cannot let them catch me, for I need to rescue the anonymous person, and get back home to my own world. I must escape this place alive. And, I will make sure that I–we–will make it out in one piece, even if it costs my life.  
_

_The voice is telling me that I am going the wrong way. That it cannot hold on any longer. I don't know why I continue in the same direction, it told me to turn around, but I do not listen to the pleading voice. As I keep running, the voice become more clear, and I know who the begging voice belonged to. When I finally realize, i came to a screeching halt.  
_

_It was Natsu's voice. _

_I turned around quickly, wanting to meet my pink-haired friend. I was only greeted by a blast of smoky wind straight to my face, making my eyes close on instinct. I put up my arms up to my face, blocking another gust of wind. I cough violently as the smoke fill my already weak lungs, trying to rid my fragile organs of the harmful substance. My eyes water, though they are closed. When I was certain that I was safe from the smoke, I slowly pull my arms away from my face. At the sight in front of me, my watery eyes widened._

_Oh, the horror._

_The roar of the flames was deafening as it devoured the building in its red, yellow, and orange brilliance. It licked at the sides, at the front, everywhere. I felt the intense heat it radiates. It was a very strong heat that surrounded me. Yet, I still felt chilled to the bone. The unknown feeling tugs harder at my chest, making me panic even more. There were various piles of scorched bodies in front of the fallen, burning structure, looking like one big massacre. And that is what it was; a mass slaughter filled with so much hatred it made me sick. The flames grew bigger and wider each passing moment.  
_

_I am wondering... did Natsu do this? I heard the his voice, so that is the only explanation I can think of. Though I do not want to believe it, it was the only thing that came to my mind. I shake my head, trying to rid my brain of the negative thoughts. He may be destructive and reckless, but Natsu wouldn't hurt a fly if he didn't absolutely have to._

_ But that would explain the flames and bodies. At the moment, this did not matter to me. Of course I was worried about who the culprit was, but my main priotity is to pinpoint Natsu's location. I have to look for him, and fast._

_I frantically search around the smoldering clearing, trying to find Natsu in all the destruction and burned rubble. I stumbled forward, wanting to stay as far as I can from the charred corpses as possible. Again, I open my mouth to call out his name, and again, no sound escaped. I softly wrap my hand around my throat, wondering why all this time I could not speak all this time. _

_A creaking sound caught my attention, as I turn to look at a broken piece of wood. I slowly walk towards it, taking my time to be cautious around my surroundings. The sign was burned as everything else, but there were words on the sign. My eyes widened (if that was possible.) at the two decorative words on the wood; the two words that have been my life for a year now. I drop to my knees beside the sign, clutching my chest, and sobbed uncontrollably.  
_

_The sign unmistakeably read, _**Fairy Tail.**

_Silent sobs escaped my lips. Hot, fat tears rolled down my cheeks, hitting the broken sign. I squeezed my leaking eyes shut, wanting to wake up from this terrible nightmare. The unknown feeling jerked at my heart, again, the force of it only made me cry harder. I wrapped my left hand with the insignia around the wood, and pressed it to my chest. I leaned my flush cheek against the black timber, holding it tightly, as if it needed so much love and care. _

_This burning building is my home. Was my home. The place that I cherish with my life and soul, the place were I made my best friends, the place that I swore I would protect with my life.  
_

_And I let it get burned to the ground._

_My stomach did an unexpected flip, and I tasted the repulsive tang of bile on my tongue. I set the sign down quickly, and bent over. I emptied out the contents of my stomach onto the black floor. I could not control myself, the vile setting, the foul aroma of burning flesh, the stuffy smoke. It was too much for me to take in all at once. The sharp claws gripped harder at my heart, clenching it so tightly that I thought that I would die if they continued to strangle me._

_I was on my hands and knees, trembling violently, letting all the energy flow out of me, as well as my undigested food. I realized the unspeakable truth of this bloodbath. The disgusting, revolting, terrifying truth._

_These corpses were my nakama._

_I put my ashen hand in front of my mouth, to prevent vomiting again. I returned my hand to the sign and held it with all my strength, my other hand curls up in a tight fist on my thigh. Who could have done this to my family? Who could have done such a dreadful thing to anyone? This was cold-blooded murder. My heart pounded rapidly against my ribs. I opened my mouth one final time, I do not care if no one can hear me, I don't even know why I am saying this. But, I need to know. I tilt my head back to the sky, and scream:_

_"Why?!"_

_A hand came down on my shoulder, jolting me from my outburst, and I stiffen. I checked this clearing countless times to see if anybody was alive, and did not see a single living soul. I am hesitant to turn around. The hand felt familiar, but it also felt rough and cold. Very slowly, I turn my head to gaze at the unknown figure._

_This person was Natsu... or what was left of him._

_ The left side of his face was severely burned, bits of rotting flesh dangling from parts of his meaty cheek. He was completely covered in soot, from head to toe. The black ash mixed in with his white skull, showing one tissuey, un-lidded, brilliant onyx eye. He smiled so sweetly, but the smile didn't meet the other side of his face. His blood-stained teeth shone in the dim light of the fire, flashing his razor-sharp canines. _

_The usual tousled salmon hair was burnt and wild, giving him a deranged maniac look. The hand that rested on my shoulder was caked in the red liquid. In fact, he was entirely plastered with the crimson blood._

_The skin on his throat was scraped up, the junction where his neck and shoulder met showed crimson tendons. Blood dripped from what was of his lip, leaking off his chin, and onto his torso. He reeked of the noxious smell of death, churning my stomach even more._

_A chunk of his arm was missing, looking like an animal might have bitten of it. Countless slashes covered his toned chest, his blood(I am guessing it is his blood.) oozing out of the deep wounds. One of the gaping gashes on his abdomen cut through his insides, showing the pinkish-gray intestines inside of him. His right leg was twisted in a very abnormal way, the bone sticking out of his tan skin, wanting to break free. His eyes were empty, cold, and dark as they stared back at me, two twin holes of despair. The sinews and muscles in his face move as his smile widens._

_"Aw, what's wrong sweetie?" he said in a sugary tone, "Scared of a bit of fire?"_

_At his words, I snapped out of my trance and punch his hand away. I scrambled to get to my feet, backing away from the Natsu-impersonator. The claws' grip strengthened on my heart increasingly, hurting me deeper and deeper as it tightens. It is suffocating me to no end. _

_"No, stay away from me! You aren't Natsu!" I bellowed. I know this is not Natsu. It couldn't be him. I do not even know how my voice came back, but I am fairly grateful. I furiously wipe at my tears, hoping that this _thing_ didn't see me cry._

_He took small steps forward, enjoying my reaction to his presence, "How could you say something so mean? I thought we were nakama," He purred, the bone sticking out of his leg moving with each step he took, "nakama don't say such a thing to each other."_

_"You are not my nakama," I growled, even though I have a firm voice, my body quakes. I am surprised that he is able to talk normally with half of his lip. I back up to one of the piles of carcasses, pressing my back to it. I am trapped._

_"Why, what are you talking about, dear child?" he speaks as if he were a worried mother, more blood dripping down his chin as he talks, "It's me, Natsu; your best friend. The one that you _killed_, remember? Ah, those were some good times, weren't they? When you brutally slaughtered me–all of us–by your own hand? You must feel very proud of yourself for doing such heinous crime to the people that loved you dearly, huh?"_

_I do not know what in the world he is talking about or how he is able to talk properly, but his words cause the nails to dig deeper into my heart. Trying my best to not heed his words, I walk backwards, stepping on a black bone. I kicked it away from me and proceed to move, "How dare you blame something that you did on me? I don't know who you are, but I will make sure you will pay for this. You killed my friends!" _

_The Fake Natsu raised the only eyebrow that he had, "What are you blabbering on about? _You_ killed them, not me. Do you not remember what you did to us? What you did to me?"_

"_What are you talking about?" I hissed, trying to create as much distance between us as possible, "I would never do such a thing to my family! I loved them, and would have gladly died for them!"_

_"Oh, but you did kill them," The fake said matter-of-factly, "you murdered every last one of your friends in cold blood, with a smile on your pretty little face. Including me. You loved the blood and the gore, you were crazy with bloodlust and the ability that you had abused. You wanted so much more–your greed so powerful–that no one could've stopped you. So not only did you kill your guild, you killed _innocent_ people as well."_

_I pointed an accusing finger at him, "You are just making this up. I think I would remember killing my own nakama, and kill innocent people! I don't know who you are, or what you are, but I swear I am going to kill you for this."_

_"No need to be so violent sweetheart," he crooned, motioning to bodies,"but I see that I'm a little too late to say that. I'm just pointing out the facts here, so you don't have to have a cow over it."_

_ He continued walking towards me, both of us never backing down. I cannot move back any further so I stand there in place, glaring at the walking corpse, "Stay away from me, you monster. Natsu is my friend, and he would never say anything like this. Don't ever talk about my family like they are just a bunch of trash that you can throw around."_

_The fake let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head in a frustrated manner, "You know, I thought you were smart, but I see you are having a bit of trouble getting this through your dense head," I open my mouth to snap back rudely, but he cuts me off. He points at his scratched-up chest, "I am the real Natsu. These are your real nakama. You killed all of us with your bare hands," he made hand gestures while he talked, "and now you are stuck here, bemoaning your sins, and living with your unpunished guilt forever."_

_"What sins?" My eyes narrow, "you say that I killed you guys–not that I'm saying that I did–and that I did other wrong acts. Hypothetically, what did I do?" I do not believe his words, but I want to investigate more into this._

_Natsu rubbed his chin–or half of his chin–thoughtfully, "Oh my, there are way too many to list. Well, you successfully committed all of the Seven Deadly Sins in such a short time it should be a record, you killed so many innocent people that you shouldn't even be called a human anymore. Eh, you take your pick sweetheart," he sneered._

_"But then, why do I not remember doing these 'sins'," I question still keeping my guard up._

_"Because you are in denial of your wrongdoings," he replied with ease, "you don't want to–how do you say–wake up and smell the flowers. You hate the fact that you are a cold-hearted murder."_

_"Of course I would hate that!" I retort harshly, "Why should I believe anything you say?How do you explain all the fire, and burnt bodies? You are the only one here that can control fire!"_

_"Well, if you must know, I have lost my powers since I have been trapped here, so I couldn't have done this," he said with his head held high, "also, you have no idea where we are. It doesn't surprise me considering the lost little puppy that you are."_

_I am getting tired of these shenanigans, "When I get my hands on you, I _promise_ I'm going to make you wish that you had never messed with me," It was a bluff, and we both knew that I couldn't do anything._

_The impersonator put a bloodied hand on his chest, looking hurt, "Why, your words strike me. After all I have done for you, you treat me like this. I must say I'm disappointed in you."_

_"You can just go to Hell, you have done nothing for me." I spat venomously._

_The Fake Natsu tilted his head back and gave a jovial laugh. I furrowed my brow, wondering what was so funny about my threat. He continued to laugh for a while, putting his hand over his–or what was–his mouth trying to hide his glee. After a few moments of his startling euphoria, he looked back at me and winked at me with his one lidded eye._

_"Ah, but don't you see, sweetheart?" He stretched his arms wide, motioning to the burning graveyard, "This is Hell."_

_A rustling sound from behind startled me, causing me to back away from the burned bodies. I saw movement in one of the stacks, seeing as one by one, they rose from the heap. They pushed off each other to stand shakily, lining up next to each other. There faces were distorted and burned to a crisp, but I still recognized them with no doubt. It was my family. I saw Mirajane, Wendy, Gray, Erza, Cana, Levy, Gajeel. I see all of my guildmates rise from the dead, looking back at me with the same eyes the Fake Natsu had. Some of them had their limbs were maimed and burned, others were completely stripped of their skin._

_The zombies stepped forward in unison, moving slowly to me._

_"You see," Natsu's voice echoed throughout the clearing," these people tried to protect you, but you rejected their help. It is your fault that they are dead, your fault that I am like this, your fault that you are here. This is all your fault."_

_"This is all your fault," The moving corpses chanted, "This is all your fault. This is all your fault."_

_"No!" I screamed, "I didn't do this! I didn't! I don't even know what's happening!" I back away, wanting to go in a small corner and hide. I turn to run far away, but I am stopped by a body. _

_The small body was Wendy, her blue hair wild and black with ash. One of her eyes was missing from its socket. She looked up at me, a blank expression on her cindered face, gazing at me with one chocolate eye. Raising her burnt tiny arm, she pointed at my face, her sweet voice rough and hard, "Your fault."_

_The claws squeeze tighter and tighter. I twirled around to run, only to be stopped with another figure. This one knocked my balance off, falling straight on my bottom. I look up, and this time it was Gray who stopped me. Most of his hair and face was missing, and his whole body was singed, his right arm missing. Blood oozed out of the maimed limb, creating a pool of the crimson liquid on the black concrete, "Your fault."_

_I turn around to get away from these walking terrors, but each time I do, I am greeted with another one of those creatures mimicking my nakama. They repeat those two words over, and over, and over again, ringing through my brain. Your fault, your fault, your fault. That is all I hear. _

_They circle me with no way of escaping, surrounding me, like we are predator and prey. They are the predators; the big scary lions, and I am the prey; a graceful and fragile gazelle. They swayed back and forth, in a rhythmic motion. I notice that there is no way opening to flee. I think I am starting to hyperventilate, my breaths coming very quick. My head is spinning, and I am lost and confused. _

_"Your fault, your fault, your fault, your fault," Over and over again, I hear these two words full of hate. I can't take this anymore. I fall to the floor in the fetal position, covering my ears with my hands, trying to block the words out. _

Calm down_, I tell myself, _It's just a bad dream. This isn't real_. _

_The chanting grows louder by the moment, even though my hands cover my ears, I can still hear them clear as day. I crush my eyes shut, wanting to make everything disappear. The claws are so tight on my heart, I feel like it is going to burst any second now. _It's just a dream,_ I tell myself again. _

_I feel a presence over me, but I do not move from my position. It bent down next to my ear, and whispered:_

_"You will be stuck here," It sounded like Natsu's voice. His hot breath tickling my neck in the most uncomfortable way, "after all the innocent people you have kill, all the crimes you have committed, you will stay here with all the mortals you have victimized. You will stay here for eternity in this Hell."_

_The talons' grip was so compressed, I started to feel choked by them. I want this to stop. I do not know why this is happening. I grind my teeth together, my molars scraping up against each other. I hate how I feel so weak, doing absolutely nothing to protect myself. But my muscles lock into place, rendering me defenseless to all harm._

_His hand snakes up to my golden tresses, curling it up to form a fist. With one harsh yank, he pulled my head back, forcing me to face him. I gasp at the sudden movement, but I refuse to open my eyes, squeezing them tighter. He leaned in close, his lips brushing the outer shell of my ear, whispering cold, loathing words._

_"You and I were meant to end up here, darling. No matter what path you were going to take, you were meant to spend forever here with me, and your 'nakama'," Natsu said in my ear gently, "You cannot escape from this. You are a demon of Hell now, so you might as well embrace all the sins you have committed. You belong to me, now and forever."_

_I do not know what to do. I inaudibly sob, not able to hold back my agony any longer. I squeeze my eyes tighter, trying to keep the tears from flowing out. I don't want to show weakness in front of this thing, pleading that I can escape here soon and very fast. He chuckled, noticing my struggle that I am going through to stay strong. My walls are slowly crumbling down from the pressure and sickness that I endure are affecting me drastically._

_His fingers tightens in my hair, causing me to wince. The impersonator craned my head, to make me face him, but I still reject to look into his eyes. He laid a hand on my cheek, his palm rough but his voice soft, "Look at me."_

No, _I say to myself, _don't do it. He's trying to trick you. You can't let him win, because if you do, he will manipulate you and make you do things you don't want to. Be strong.

_Natsu tugged a bit at my hair again, "Open your eyes, and see what you have done," he spoke with a gentle voice, almost as if he was trying to sooth me, "you say you don't remember, but I can make you remember. Don't you want to know why you are here?"_

_His voice sounded so sincere, so sweet, he sounded like the real Natsu. I know that I should not open my eyes, but I need answers, and he said he would me what I need to know. I think he was just saying that to trick me, but I am willing to take my chances. The claws are so tight on my heart, I think that it is about to reach its limit. I still hear the chanting in the background, but it toned down a bit._

_"Open your eyes, and all of your questions will be answered."_

_As I take one last deep breath, I ever so slowly open my eyes. When I finally un-lid my eyes, I stare into Natsu's dark eyes. I have seen these eyes before, but there was something different about them now. Even though one eye was damaged, when looked into them, they were the same as the Natsu's on Earthland. But now, there is something in his eyes; something that awakens the unknown emotion inside of me. The claws are crushing me again, and if it gets any tighter, I am sure that it will burst. Looking into those eyes... those eyes that I have gazed into thousands of times before have a certain glint to them, that I could not comprehend. I am frozen in place, my trembling ceased all together as I realize the emotion piercing my heart._

_It was fear._

_Fear was the reason why I am here, fear is the reason that this place was created, fear is the reason why I cannot protect myself on my own._

_Fear is the reason why I killed them all._

_"You were my best friend, and I trusted you with my very life. But, you were so blinded by your greed that that didn't matter to you. So you killed. Every. Single. Last. One of us," he growled, baring his sharp fangs, "and you actually have the audacity to march around here, and claim that you're innocent."_

_I try to pry out of the impersonator's iron grip, but he would not let go as I use all my strength and force to escape his death grip. I kick and punch his bleeding arm, trying to get him off me hopelessly. This dream is terrifying me, and I cannot do anything to stop it. I can't flee, for this monster–these monsters–are tying me down from leaving._

_"When will you accept the fact," Natsu said slowly but roughly, his fingernail scratching my scalp painfully, "that this your _reality_? That you did this to yourself–nobody else did this–but you? This is not a dream, or a nightmare, but your _destiny_."_

_He wrapped his good arm around my torso, and yanked me towards his chest, "You don't have to suffer anymore. You are with your own kind now, so just stop trying. Embrace your murderous needs, your burning rage, your uncontrollable thirst for blood. We need our queen back, _Giamia_."_

_I do not even pay attention that he just called me Giamia, a woman that I hate with a passion. The terror that I feel is so unbearable, it shakes my whole body to the core. My breaths are becoming fast and it was getting very stuffy. I need to get out of here, and I need to do it fast. My emotions crash and wash over me, causing me to feel trapped and scared beyond my wildest imaginations. I don't think I have ever bee this terrified in all of my eighteen years of living. I think I am having a panic attack with all the pressure building up inside of me, it makes sense because I felt that I was about to explode. _

_My heart beats faster and faster as I feel his hand crawling up my body, hovering right below the curve of my breast. It feels like he is setting me ablaze, because I feel so that I thought I was going to melt. The chanting suddenly grows louder again, as if they are pushing me to the edge of insanity. _

_Natsu lowers his head to my neck, and licks a wet line down my throat, "Stay here with me, my queen. And let us rule Hell together."_

_Higher and higher the pressure builds as he muttered those forbidden words to me. I can't do this anymore. I know I am going to do something that I will regret any second now. My eyes could not squeeze any tighter trying desperately to keep my sanity intact. I am just a ticking bomb now, waiting to go off._

_I felt soft lips press against my cheek, as he whispers his last words, "Let us rule this wretched world."_

_The bomb went off._

_"STOP IT!" I yell, jerking out of his grip, "GET AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

_I crawl away from him, and return myself to the fetal position, hands on my ears and curled up in a ball. I wanted to block the chanting, the fire, the burned bodies, everything. My tears slid down my cheeks burning a line on my skin as they fell. _

_Maybe this place is real... maybe I did kill my family and innocent people... maybe what the Fake Natsu was saying is true. Or is he the real Natsu? I hate being left alone in this dark and scary place. I want to see the light, I want to taste it, I want to feel its rays kiss my pale skin. Never again do I want to be in the dark, cold and afraid. I quake in terror, my body unable to handle the stress and fright that I feel. Leaving this place would be a big weight that will be lifted from my shoulders. Forgetting what happened here would clean my slate spotless. I wish more than anything in this world that I could forget my guilt, and go back home to my warm bed._

_I try to force myself to calm down, but I just could not for the life of me. I whimper softly, waiting for this reign of terror to end._

_But all I heard is silence._

_I peeked my eye open a bit, wondering why everything had stopped so suddenly. I slowly stand back up from the floor, and look around. I am back in the blackness, and I exhale a huge sigh of relief. To me I think it is better to be stuck in nothing than to be stuck with the reminder of what I supposedly did. I rubbed my eyes getting rid of the salty water that stain my face, safe from the hell that haunted me relentlessly. I start walking aimlessly, not caring where I was going as long as never have to face that nightmare again._

_But that doesn't mean that I am not still scared about where I am. I clasp my hands together behind my back and continue to march forward. I am confused on how Natsu and the others suddenly disappeared into thin air. Was it because I wanted them to go away? I do not know what or how it happened, but I am very grateful._

_Yet I still do not feel like I am alone. I feel like an... like an eerily phantom is hovering near me. Like it is waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. I gulp, and turn around praying that I wouldn't find anything behind me._

_And, oh, I could not have been more wrong._

_Who stood there in their magnificent glory, a blissful smile on her forever-young face, was my worst enemy; Giamia._

_Her blonde ringlets spiraled down her delicate back in a graceful manner. In all of the darkness, she lit up the oblivion like the radiant sun, wearing her regular pure snow-white gown. She resembled me so much that it made my stomach flip. Though she is such a breath-taking gorgeous human, she is a disgusting monster hiding behind a mask that she uses that can influence the toughest wizard in Fiore. _

_This woman is the cause of my life turning into Hell itself. I never thought I could ever hate anyone no matter what they did, but after having my faithful encounter with this woman-this animal-I could never hate someone as much as I hate her. She was so many things to me at the time. My nemesis, role model, nightmare, friend. But now, I loathe her very existence with all my being._

_"My darling," she said with elegance in her silky voice, "my little ray of sunshine... what in God's name are you doing in a place like this?"_

_I glower at her, my gaze shooting invisible daggers, "Shouldn't you know why I am here?"_

_She cocked her head to the side, "Why such a sour expression, my sweet? I haven't the slightest inkling why you are here," the sarcasm in her voice is so obvious, she must really think I am a little girl._

_"Stop talking to me like I'm a baby. And stop calling me those embarrassing names!" She knows that I despise her, but she still loves to tease me as if she were a close friend of mine, which I hate. We are mortal enemies; nothing more, and nothing less._

_"Why do you always have to be so mean?" she sniffed and pouted, "you really hurt my feelings when you say those things. I am nice to you all the time, but you still treat me like the dirt under your fingernails."_

_I twirl around my back towards her, "Tell me why I am here," I say in all seriousness. Even if my undying hatred for her is basically burning me, I stay as calm as I can. It wasn't easy, but I have to do what I have to do._

_Her streak of humor vaporized as the words left my lips. Though the floor isn't anything but black, I hear her footsteps behind as she walks up to me, "I thought that that Natsu character explained everything to you."_

_"I needed to make sure from a third party," I do not look back, and keep my eyes straight, "Even though my hate for you is strong, you don't lie, so I knew you would be a reliable source."_

_She laid her hands on my hips, I so badly wanted to push her away harshly, but I control myself, "Well, it's all true. Every last word that he had said is true. I'm sorry dragi, but you did all of this by yourself. I had no control over you," her voice was comforting and soft, the voice that always soothed me when I was miserable._

_"I killed my friends?" it was more of a statement than a question, "I am the main reason why Fiore is nothing but ash now?" my voice cracks, tears threatening to spill. I refuse to cry in front of her. I might have showed weakness in front of the corpses, but I would rather die then let her see my anguish._

_"I'm afraid so," she whispers, "I know it's hard to process, but I promise I will help you get through this."_

_"Why would I do such a horrible thing? What had really happen?"_

_"You are asking the wrong person, sweetheart. I know what happened, but I do not know why you did it," Giamia stated._

_"Tell me," I say firmly, "I want to know what happened."_

_"I'm sorry dragi," she says again, "but I cannot tell you. I swore to myself that I would let you figure that out on your own. To find out yourself... is probably the best answer that you can have," she moved my hair to the side, fiddling with the ends. I stayed frozen as she was next to me, afraid that she might make a rash move anytime. _

_"You are no help at all," I claimed, irritated by being left in the dark–literally. I clench my fists tightly at my side. Giamia sees my distress, and rubs her hand up and down my chilled arm._

_"You know I would if I could... but there are some things in this world that you have to understand, darling. And for you to understand, I have to let you fight this battle alone. But, I will be there every step of the way for you. I promise."_

_I say nothing at her at her heartfelt words, they make me feel warm inside but I do not know if she is speaking the truth or not. She rests her chin on my shoulder, her hands still on my hips. I do hate her. I do. I cannot stress how much I hate her enough. But... she always knows what to say when nobody else can do anything for me. She is like the mother that I have never had, my hate increasing more for her making me feel like this._

_We stay in a comfortable silence, like the ones that we used to have all the time. The hush felt like it would go on for years and years at a time. But, I did not mind at all, because now I have eternity to do whatever I can, and I don't want to spend my life like this anymore._

_"I can make forget, you know," Giamia murmured, "I can make you forget your pain, your guilt, your hate. I know you dragi, and you will force yourself to remember those painful memories, and I don't want that for you. Please... let me help you."_

_I turn my head to look into those sweet hazel eyes; the ones that have been passed down through generations, finally to me. Her eyes are gentle and sweet as she sees the unshed tears in mine. Why is it that whenever I look into her eyes... my hate for her vanishes into thin air? Why is it when she could do the most monstrous crime known to man, that I feel nothing but sympathy for her?_

_Why is it when I am with her I feel so much love my heart?_

_I hate this woman. I hate her, but... she showed me so much affection in just a few short months that my own mother hadn't even showed me in all my years I spent with her. I always say that she does it to earn my trust, to use me as her slave. But no matter how much I say these things, the intimacy between us feels too real to be fake. When I am with her, my emotions go haywire, and I hate it. I hate the way she makes me feel when she looks at me. I hate when she leaves me, that I feel empty and cold, like this oblivion. I hate her for making me love her._

_I swallowed, my throat feeling a bit dry. To be honest, I would be more than ecstatic to leave all my worries behind. I open my mouth reluctantly, "Can you really do that for me?" _

_She nodded, "Anything for you,_ Malo cvijeća."

_At those words, I break. For the final time, my tears leak down my face, the control over them nonexistent and I knew that I could not hold back the dam of tears anymore. I turn around, and crush Giamia to my chest, pressing her against me to feel her warmth of her body. At the sudden action she stiffen in my grasp, but after a moment she wrapped her pale arms around me tenderly, welcoming my embrace with a grin. I weep on her shoulder, the salty tears spilled from my chocolate eyes, rolling down her pastel skin. I don't ever remember crying this hard before, but I do not bother to hold back my sorrow any longer, beacause... well what do I have to lose now?_

_The woman stroked my hair with her downy hand, starting from my head to the small of my back, and repeating the cycle. Giamia whispered soft and quiet words from her native language into my ear, the sweet melody of her voice soothing me._

_"I... hate you so... much," I say between hiccups, clinging onto her like my life had depended on it. And maybe it did. If it wasn't for her, I would be dead ten times over._

_She smiled, "I know."_

_I wish I could stay like this forever, and never have to face any fear ever again. I want to stay on her shoulder, in her arms, for the rest of my meaningless life. She has done so many unforgivable things to me and my nakama, but I cannot stop myself from feeling this way. It scares me how much I have attached to her over a short period of time. Or what feels like a short period. My dying wish is that I could just forget all of the pain and guilt that I have endured during these long miserable months. I want this to all end now._

_She pulls back and place her small hands on either side of my face. Using her thumb, she brushed away some of the tears, "Are you sure you want to do this? Once I start, there is no stopping the process."_

_I sniff and wipe my nose with my hand, "Just do it."_

_She smiled sadly and rubbed my face one last time. She lightly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into her eyes again. Hers were big, bright and beautiful, while mine were red, puffy, and leaking._

_She leaned her face closer to mine slowly. I do not break my gaze with her, but I gather my dress in a bunch, quite afraid that it was going to hurt. Closer and closer she got, and I was afraid of what she was doing. I let her do it anyway. Because what else is left for me in my miserable life? I have no one but her anymore, and I just want to forget everyone and everything, to forget my endless pain. When she got so close that I felt her long eyelashes against my cheek, she had stopped. Then suddenly, the whole world turned back to black. _

_I tried to move, but I have been returned to my prison. I felt a warm fluid running down my arm, draining me slowly. I started to lose consciousness quickly and fast. A coppery smell filled my nose, and I know that it was blood. I could not move. I could not speak. I cannot do anything, but wait for the darkness to completely consume me._

_ And I knew that..._

_This is how I disappear._

* * *

Carla stopped dead center in the guild as she was about to reach the big wooden doors. The vision flooded her mind as fuzzy images flashed before her eyes. It felt like electricity had struck her small body, the scent of blood filing her nose. Carla had seen blood before, but the gore that she was seeing was too much for her to take in at once. Her heartbeat started to beat at an erratic pace. Lucy had done _that_ to Fairy Tail?

Her burned, deformed nakama, the bloody Natsu... she thought she was going to be sick right then and there. She heard the roar of the fire in her keen ears, the blinding light of it filled her sight. The carcasses had risen from the dead, slowly walking towards the scared brown eyes widened as she saw a lithe, disfigured body that was Wendy. She was caked with the crimson liquid, her corpse black and charred. To witness the death of her best friend had frightened her to no end, leaving a permanent mental scar on her.

The bodies circled Lucy repeating 'your fault' over and over again, like they were trying to tease her nakama. Natsu had pushed himself through the crowd, to get to the crouching blonde mess in the center. He had whispered such hateful words to her, though they were meant to be sincere, Carla had known otherwise. He said that he had wanted his queen back, and called Lucy the wizard Giamia.

Lucy a queen? That had to be a joke. She might have been beautiful and graceful, but that girl wouldn't know royalty even if it hit her in the face.

The scene had changed back to black, but that was not the end and Carla knew that. The white Exceed continued to stare at the black, waiting for something–anything–to happen. A woman filled the cat's sight that looked like Lucy. Well, not just look like her, she was _basically_ her, but she could tell a difference between the two.

Carla guessed that this woman is Giamia. Lucy described her very well. She was a very beautiful lady, but beauty is only skin deep with this creature. From her perspective, Giamia was really a smart ass, liking to tease her blonde friend.

Carla felt the emotions that were changed between these females. It was very strange because in all of her other vision, she had never felt the human's emotions or emotion. They held so much power in them that she never knew that feeling a certain way towards someone could be so... passionate in a good and bad way. She felt hate, anger, sadness, love...

_Love_?

The surprise was clearly showed on her face, because it was astonishing that these two could possibly _love_ each other; Giamia was a murder for goodness sake! The two were talking to each other like they were old friends meeting for the first time in a while. Giamia as cocky as ever, and Lucy a stubborn blonde that never backs down without putting up a good fight. They were so very similar in every detail from head to toe. It was starting to freak the cat out a little.

Lucy had asked her questions to Giamia, her voice somber as she spoke quietly. The answers that the woman had given her friend was not the right thing that she had wanted to hear. Lucy, a sweet celestial mage from Fairy Tail, kill her own family and harmless citizens of Fiore by her own will? That sounded way too hard to believe.

The dark wizard in the vision had told the blonde that she is willing to help end her suffering and guilt that she had encountered. The mage did not speak for a long time, but stood there staring at Giamia with tearful eyes. Carla prayed that Lucy wouldn't accept the offer for if she does, there will be nothing but trouble in store for her.

And how right on the dot she was.

The blonde had turned and crushed the wizard to her. Carla was a bit taken aback by the sudden movement, and disappointed. That hug had meant that she was willing to do whatever it took to erase her endless pain, and the Exceed had known that. The little time that she had spent with Lucy was enough for her to determine her actions. Carla was very smart, and it wasn't hard to predict someone's next move if you knew them well.

The older female was comforting the weeping teen, and speaking to her in tongues. It was a soft language and it flowed from Giamia's mouth with ease, the way she pronounces the exotic words was fascinating. But she had a bad feeling about these specific statement. She didn't know how, but... she just knew.

"_Draga moja ... boli me što te vidim u toliko boli. Na kraju, na bijednu patnje, ja ću završiti svoj život sa svojom vlastitom rukom. Ali želim da znaš da ću te voljeti uvijek i zauvijek, i ja bih da sam mogao biti tu za vas tijekom žalovanja, ali ... to je bolje na taj način," _Those foreign words rang throughout Carla's brain, her voice mellifluous and silvery. But they caused her to shiver so she knew that they could not mean anything good.

Giamia had pulled away from the sobbing girl, and place her hands on her face. Carla saw something in the woman's eyes that caused her to involuntarily shudder.

_Please don't do it,_ the cat thought, _please don't_.

The older female had brought her face close to Lucy's slowly. Carla for a split second that the woman was going to going to kiss Lucy. She was too close to her friend now, too close for the Exceed's comfort, their lips were almost touching. But, suddenly Giamia had came to a stop. The little cat mentally let out a huge sigh of relief.

Then she heard a sickening _crack_! The world went black again.

Carla had audibly gasped, and covered her mouth with her tiny paw. Wendy looked back at her friend, wondering what was taking her so long, but Carla had barely noticed. She was so shocked and horrified by the apprehensive apparition that her mind was spinning. The coppery smell was strong in the air, she felt light-headed and swayed to the side a little.

"Carla, what's wrong?" the little girl's worried voice caused the cat to snap out of her dazed state. She blinked a few times trying to make her eyes adjust to the lighting in the deserted guild. Wendy was holding the heavy door open, waiting to leave with her feline friend.

Carla had managed to let out a shaky smile, "Oh, it's nothing Wendy. Come on, let's go find the others."

The small Dragon Slayer had difficultly believing the words her companion had told her. Her eyes had clearly shown that she wanted to ask, and she opened her mouth. Considering the situation that they were in, they didn't have time to muck around so they should really get a move on. Wendy smiled and walked out of the guild, Carla following a few steps behind her.

_Oh my goodness_, Carla thought, _what in God's name did I just see?_

* * *

Lucy had stirred a bit as she slowly awoke from her slumber. After she had left Giamia, she wandered off to explore her dreamland a bit more. She did discover a lot more things than she had expect, and had more dreams throughout her journey. It was quite fascinating as Giamia described it would be, and she enjoyed learning the hidden secrets of her mind. It was still dark, and she had guessed that she had only slept for a couple of hours.

She remembered a few things that she and the older woman disccused. She could recall bits and pieces of their conversation about her dreamland. Lucy grimaced as she looked back on her death threat to Giamia. Maybe it was irrational to go and try to intimidate one of the deadliest wizards in Earthland's history, plus she was in her body so the woman could do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

Besides that, she had had other good dreams when she was sleeping. It might not have been for long, but she felt refreshed getting a bit of shut-eye with all the madness that bombarded her at once. She had sat up in the plush cot, yawning and stretching in the process. Rubbing her eye with her closed fist, she had brought the blankets to her chin, too lost in their warmth to get up from the bed just yet. Oh, how she wished that she could stay in bed forever without a care in the world.

The dreams that she had collected were very pleasant ones, and she really needed something good to come out of all the chaos that was circulating. A dream that she remember had her late mother in it with her father, and the family back when she was very little. They were happy and smiling, the way it was before Lucy's mom had died. A small smile crawled on her face. She always like the dreams with Mom in them. Of course, she could only gather a few snip-its of the dream, but that was enough for her.

But, there was one dream other than the one that she'd shared with Giamia that agitated Lucy. Her memory of it was a bit fuzzy, so she couldn't remember everything that had happened, which really sucks. She rubbed her messy hair, and opened her mouth to let out another yawn.

This particular dream was nothing special at all, but it still troubled the sleepy blonde. It was dark, except for a little glimmer of light that glowed in the distance, its shimmering glory so enchanting that Lucy could not keep her eyes away. So many times she had reached out to touch it, but the harder she tried to reach the glow, the farther it seemed to get.

The blonde heard whispers in the darkness, urging her to go capture the light. Some of the murmurs were unclear, but she had managed to pick up some words they they had said. _Get, light, hurry, out. _As she heard those important words, she extended her arm and fiercely clawed at the light, but every time she had almost touched it the light would move out of her reach. Lucy grimaced and stood on her tiptoes determined this time to catch, and once again it had moved.

She finally resorted to chasing after the shining blaze, wanting so badly to seize the light and claim it in her pale hands. Each step she had taken, the light had reach further out of her grasp. It was starting to get her frustrated.

Lucy had heard the voice of her family telling her to get it quickly, but the sound of their voices had an anxious ring to them. Their concerned voices seemed to give her more strength to pursue the glow, her feet pounding against the black floor as she ran faster and faster. It slide from left to right, up and down, trying to stay out of the persistent girl's grip. Lucy insisted on catching the wavering gleam, for it was for her nakama's sake. They had sounded worried about a certain something, and quite frankly it was beginning to scare her.

They kept urging her to capture the irksome gleam that had shone in the coal-black nothing. She ran and ran as the voice had told her to do so, getting worn out from all the running. She did not even know the significance of this light, but hearing the worried tone of her nakama in her head, it seemed important enough to be worth fighting for.

She had finally caught up with the light, her pace quickened as she had noticed how close she was to grasping it. It had looked like it had either slowed down, or Lucy had built up her speed to capture the irritating glow.

She was so close to it now, her fingertips mere centimeters away from grazing the surface of the gleaming radiance. She continued to run, but gradually getting tired of waiting. Lucy bended her knees, and jumped as high as she could to catch the light.

She silently cheered when she knew that she could catch it. But when she was about to wrap her petite fingers around it, it vanished before her eyes. She saw Giamia's face for an eighth of a second, which was replaced by scalding flames.

Lucy didn't know what to do with the sudden change, but she stood there gazing at the fire. It burned brightly, the aura of the flames reminded her of Natsu's fire magic, how delicate and natural that they had surrounded each other in a never-ending cycle mesmerizing her brown orbs. She want to observe the beauteous performance; the wild flames were the dancers, the crackle of the fire was the music.

But it did not last long as the flames slowly turned into shades of dark colors. Blue, purple, black. The onyx inferno glowed eerily, the aura gradually dying with its vivid colors, the feel of its heat disappeared. It made Lucy's heart grow cold also, crestfallen at losing the comforting heat of the blaze to the icy fire.

This flame gave off a... peculiar feeling somehow. The longer that the blonde had stared at it, the more her unease swelled up in her chest. It felt like a phantom had just swooped in and robbed her of the warmth and fascination that she had loved. She knew that this could not mean anything good.

Lucy cried out in sheer pain as a pang hit her harder than a bullet. She crumbled to the ground, nursing her aching head, the pain was very unexpected at the moment and it had hurt like _Hell_. She winced as another wave of the white-hot stinging again, this wave's doubled having a greater impact on the blonde.

This was the part that she could barely make out. Though the pain was so immense it shook her whole body, her sight blurred into one the scene turned black-and-white, the flame was grainy and dark. She tried many times to twist around and leap back towards the light, but the pain really had slowed her down a lot, her throbbing muscles locked in place.

She had started to feel dizzy like she was on a ceaseless merry-go-round, and she felt nauseated. Whispers, whispers, whispers was the only thing that she heard, the soft prodding of the voice didn't even form words, but mumbled a foreign chant. Were they speaking another language? Lucy couldn't even make out any words from the voices.

The black flame flickered on and off multiple times, the faster it flickered, the more it affected her already poor vision. It felt terrible, and Lucy knew that this was ever so slowly turning into a horrible nightmare. Something was hovering over her shoulder, the shadow casting down on her pale shoulder. It resembled a hand, but it was too small to be a man or creature. After sending a silent prayer and accepting her fate, she turned around.

And that was when she woke up.

Lucy groaned and blew her long bangs out of her face. It really sucked because she wanted to know what or who was behind her. She had thought maybe having that dream was a sign or something to say she was in danger. Maybe... an omen? Oh God, that is probably the stupidest thing she came up with since she decided to go fishing with Natsu and Happy.

The mage brought her long wavy blonde hair over her shoulder, and played with the silky locks. It was very beautiful to her and Lucy had always wanted long hair, but she never knew how heavy it was! Mavis, it was giving her a killer headache. Speaking of Mavis, she didn't know how the small woman can handle all that hair that she had (even though she's already dead). It had stopped mid-thigh and it was much thicker than her shorter hair. Daring to experiment, she brought her slender finger to the top and started to braid the golden hair, working her way through the tangles and awful case of bed head. When she was done, she held up the braid and proudly glanced at it, the tips curled up in a cute fashion. Too bad she didn't have a hair tie.

A soft bang jolted her from her admiration, and she focused on listening to the outside. Yelling voices were muffled by the heavy infirmary door, harder for Lucy to determine who they had belonged to. After a moment or two, she had heard another thud and various voices shouted very cheerfully. The blonde gasped.

Master Makarov and Master Mavis were home!

Excited by both of the petite masters' return, she threw the covers off her sore and marked body rushing over to the mahogany door to greet them joyfully. Feeling a cool breeze on her cold legs, Lucy looked down and realized that she was only in her panties and blouse. She dashed back to the dresser beside her bed, and fumbled to put a fresh pair of clothes on that Wendy had laid out for her. After she was properly dressed, she scurried to the door only to be stopped with her hand on the silver doorknob.

The voices turned hush, and Lucy had strained to listen to the quiet conversation between her guildmates and the masters. She very quietly cracked the door open, a rush of air hit her cheek as she put her ear up against the crack to hear the discussion. It was a bit hard to listen, but she knew that they were discussing her and Giamia (of course...). She was not in the least bit surprised because she knew that the master had to come back sometime, and they couldn't keep it a secret from the father figure of Fairy Tail.

She listened as Erza explained calmly to the small old man the situation that they had been sucked into. The redhead had left out a few details because she didn't want the master to have an ulcer, and she completely understood that and actually sent her a silent thank you.

The sword mage's explanation continued on for a few more minutes when she had finally fell silent, waiting patiently for the old man's response. The silence carried out for a long time until Lucy heard the master's rough voice mumble something to Master Mavis, a grave expression on his wrinkled face. The small ghost woman stammered and babbled on, her words quiet but quick that the blonde couldn't even make out. As the little woman finished, Makarov turned to the small group.

Alright, brats. Listen up and listen good," The master started, "This wizard is highly dangerous and no laughing matter. With the Magic Council looking for that gem, its not safe for Lucy to be out in the open anymore. She has to leave Fairy Tail. We all have to leave Fairy Tail. Even if they have no idea what's going on, they still go with us. No questions asked. Because if the Magic Council even thinks that this guild has anything to do with the gem, they will find us. And most likely kill us. I cannot protect you all from the Council. I have a few people that I can trust to take care of us. I'm sorry. But we are doing this for one of our nakama."

There was a moment of silence, and then he continued on:

"We cannot let Lucy is our first and only priority from now on. She will not take a walk without one of you accompanying her. She will not think of leaving the safe house. And most importantly, she will never use the power of the gem for anything. Even if we are on the verge of death, you all have to make sure that none of this happens. If they catch her, we will all be executed at once," The last statement made Lucy involuntarily wince.

"Every last one of us. No interrogation, no trial, nothing. This is very serious. Our lives are in danger now. But, you must protect Lucy with your life. If that gem gets in the wrong hands, or she awakens her true powers, it will be the end of Fiore as we know it."

The master's words were muffled, and Lucy could only make out the majority of his statement.

"I'm sorry," She had heard him say, "but this is the way it has to be. We can't live here anymore."

The blonde's eyes widened and she almost let out a sob, but she covered her mouth with her hand to prevent any sound from escaping, fearing that someone would figure out that she was wide awake. Tears stung in her eyes as she clutched her lower abdomen, holding onto the heavy door with an iron grip, afraid if she had let go she would crumble to the ground.

She was leaving Fairy Tail? They _all_ were?

The very thought of it made it sick to her stomach. This was all her fault for storming out and wandering in the middle of nowhere at night! Now, her little mistake was going to cost everyone's life and comfort?! She had to leave her home, and never come back to the place she felt the safest, because if she did she would be executed on sight?

Panic bubbled in her chest. She shut her eyes, wishing–hoping–that somebody could save her from this horrible Hell she was living. To be separated from the place that has been her whole world for one amazing year, was basically stripping her of her dignity, pride, and happiness all at once. One little mistake that she had stupidly made had costed her the most thing that was precious to her.

Her family was the very reason that she lived and breathed. Without them beside her, she would have been married off to some snot nose brat, being miserable for the rest of her life. And for that, Lucy owed them everything. They had saved her from the deepest depths of despair multiple times, and she has never repaid the favor that they did for her. Not _once_.

It was her turn to protect her nakama.

The conversation between the others had proceed, and Lucy tried her best to listen to the exchanged words of her family. Her eyes watered, a sign that she was very close to curling up in a ball and crying a river, but she wiped them away and focused at the task at hand. She heard small whispers and replies from various members of the guild. Damn, too bad the infirmary was far away from the guild hall, because it was a pain in the neck trying so hard to eavesdrop on someone.

Natsu's gentle but firm voice filled her ears, and she was somewhat relieved to hear her best friend. From being so far away, Lucy wasn't able to hear his whole confession but she had picked up little words that he spoke from time to time. He had said her name a few times (no surprise there), something about the Magic Council's order, and hating to leave the guild. At his words, the guild fell into another silent moment that seemed to last forever.

Gajeel's voice was the next one that she had heard, his tone gruff and scratchy, and by no means nice. Hearing the word idiot made Lucy scrunch up her nose in a distasteful way. She always hated it when the iron Dragon Slayer insulted people for no reason whatsoever, because it made her uncomfortable and irritated. But she still thought of her and Gajeel as family, so she never had said anything about it and just let it go or ignored it most of the time.

Mirajane had followed and Lucy had clearly heard the take-over mage:

"He's right," Wait, who was right about what? "When I said I would follow Lucy through Hell and high water, I wasn't saying that to comfort her or sugar-coat the situation that we got ourselves into. We are all responsible for protecting our family, so we have to do this."

So now they decide to be loud enough for her to hear the conversation. How about that?

'It doesn't matter about the guild," Erza's voice cut through the air like one of her finest swords, "Our family is the guild. And without our family, there is no Fairy Tail. We have to protect the guild with our dear lives. Whether we like it or not."

Gray, in his half-naked glory, stood up and added his input, "We are doing this to keep Fairy Tail, and that is the only thing that matters here. Screw the Magic Council, and their order. We are doing this for our nakama."

Master Makarov's voice boomed throughout the guild, "So who's doing this for Fairy Tail?!"

Out of nowhere, cheers erupted from the hall, and Lucy was taken aback from the sudden burst of enthusiasm the group had mustered up from such a depressing discussion.

"Alright brats! Your first mission is to gather everyone and meet us back here at eight o' clock, sharp! The First Master and I have a few people that we have to call. Now, don't stop until you find everyone. Do you understand?" The master barked out in a very military-ish manner.

"Yes sir!" They had all said in unison.

The master repeated himself once more about eight o' clock, and the blonde heard heavy footsteps racing away from the empty guild.

"Let's go, First Master."

Uh oh. The master's office was right next to infirmary, and they would know that Lucy was eavesdropping on their discussion with little avail. Lucy quietly rushed and stripped herself of the new clothes, and nearly fell over to put the blue blouse back on. Once she successfully secured all the buttons, she jumped in the bed and threw the blankets over her, making sure that they cover her body but left her face out to breath.

She patiently waited for someone to enter the room. She heard scuffles outside of the infirmary, and she closed her eyes, expecting the masters to come in to check up on her.

But, nobody came for a while.

The murmurs that came from outside where out of earshot, so Lucy had no idea what the little masters were saying. It must have been important because she heard the click of the master's as it shut, the lock fastening. Lucy huffed, and brought her index finger to create small circles in the silky bed sheets. She was very tired, but her body refused to settle down with all the ruckus, so she stayed up blissfully alone with her thoughts.

She looked back on memories of past; the good, the bad, and the careless. Lucy had to admit that she has had a good life with all her friends, and to have that taken away from her in a blink of an eye, it had hurt her so much. Leaving Fairy Tail would probably be the hardest thing she has been through since her mother had died, and it took her about ten _years_ to get over Layla. To leave the place where she had made so many memories... it was like taking her heart out, and stomping on it until it was dust.

She wondered where they might head to when they were gone. She wondered who was going to take care of the guild when all of Fairy Tail had disappeared. There were so many things on her mind that she asked her herself, but wasn't able to come up with a valid answer. Lucy was scared for the future for her and her nakama, but she was hoping that this terror would pass over soon.

Lucy reached over to bring the rope of hair over her shoulder again to have something to occupy her from the negative thoughts. She carefully combed her fingers through the soft tresses, and continued caress her golden mane.

Why did one idiotic outburst have to flip her whole world upside down with no warning whatsoever? It was just another argument that her and Natsu have almost every single day... so why was this one so different from the other ones? Maybe... maybe it was her fault that they were in this gooey mess. Correction, it _was_ her fault that they were in this mess. It was because she was so stupid to wander out in the middle of the night, and go and touch a random gem that was highly dangerous. You know what they say...

Curiosity killed the cat.

Lucy had finally got to live that statement, and to be honest, it did not feel good at all. But, it was herself who put herself in such a bad situation, and she had to dig herself out of it if she didn't want to be sucked deeper and deeper until finally there is a point of no return. She doesn't want it for her or Fairy Tail.

Her mind drifted off to Giamia; the woman who was part of the reason for ruining her life, and apparently the woman she was related to. The woman who loved to trick people, to brutaully murder them, and then look down at the corpse and say 'no hard feelings'. Well it makes sense since she is practically a demon of Hell. And Lucy had guessed that if she was still down there in the burning pit, she would probably be a very high-classed demon, and possibly working alongside Satan himself.

Lucy has studies Earthland's history countless times, and in all the books that she has read, the biggest geneicide was during the Battle of the Dark Wizards. She didn't even think it was a geneicide because the mages weren't targeting specific people; it was just one big bloodbath that went on for years and year. To her, it was terrible and disgusting that any _sane _human being would do that to anyone without a purpose or good reason. They just did it... for fun.

With all the blood on Giamia's dirty hands, she wouldn't be surprised if she was a high-classed demon, or above Lucifer. To do something so vile and... _diabolical_ that she didn't even know how to react to such an... an atrocious act.

Oh, how she wished that she could have stopped Giamia and the robbers from doing such an unforgivable thing to Fiore. After so many years of mourning the dead and the damned, the years started to become more lively and joyous... only to have someone take that away. Maybe if she was somewhere near the robbery, she could have prevented them from doing any harm to the citizens or to Fiore itself. She could have whipped out her keys and–

Her keys!

Lucy jumped up from her comfortable position to frantically search the dark room for her celestial keys. Oh God, did she forget them in the forest? If she had lost them, Lucy didn't know what she would do.

After searching the room, her hands wandering over objects, a glint caught her eye. She whirled around to find a pile of her old bloody clothes, and she dived for them. She shook the pile to find her belt, as it almost fell to the floor. With on swift movement, she caught it and fumbled with the leather pouch that held her keys. She opened it, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Thank God they were still there.

Worn out completely, the blonde walked back to the bed and settled her in between the covers, her keys in hand as she pressed them to her chest. She didn't know why, but she felt so much calmer to have her celestial spirits handy, and she snuggled closer to them.

Lucy ran her thumb over the icy gold, feeling more at peace to have her faithful companions close to her whenever she had needed them. Her eyelids were suddenly growing heavy, and she had finally decided that it was time to get some more rest because she had been through a lot during these long, torturous hours.

She closed her eyes, and willed herself to slip into unconsciousness.

Until she was awoken by the sound of the door closing not so gently.

She heard the click of the infirmary door open, and she tried her best to look like she was sleeping, tucking her keys under her thigh out of plain sight. Soft footsteps entered, and the masters walked over to her bedside, standing there silently.

Lucy held her breath as she waited for one of her superiors to say something. The silence continued for a while, and the blonde tried to even out her breathing to make her fake-sleeping believable.

"She looks beautiful with long hair," Master Makarov said, breaking the uncomfortable stillness.

"She does," Mavis agreed, and reached out her small hand to caress the teen's hair, "The moment that I had met her, I immediately knew who she was, and who she resembled. She looks so much like... _that_ woman that it's almost scary. It's like I'm touching a ghost."

Lucy didn't know if she should be upset or laugh at those words, because the irony was that Master Mavis was a ghost herself.

"I know," Makarov grimly replied, "I've had my doubts about Lucy, and I hoped–I prayed–that she wouldn't figure out the real truth about her bloodline," He paused for a moment as he listened to his own words, "She was such a good child when I first met her. She still is. A child that had lost their mother and a father that neglects her, and... she turned out so caring and loving of others. It's hard to believe that she is related to such a monster."

Lucy internally winced at the statement.

"She can never live a normal life anymore," The small woman said, "It doesn't matter what we do or say or try, but she will always be treated different from others from now on," She was stating the facts, and Lucy knew it. But to never have that spark of life anymore... it was like she was just punched in the gut.

"When this child first came to me," The old man started, "I thought the same thing that I always thought when a beautiful woman came into the guild. 'Damn, she's fine too bad I'm almost seventy years older than her'," Lucy almost lost her cool at the lewd reply, "but then, it was gnawing at me that she looked so familiar, and it was driving me insane. I finally decided to take a break, and go read something to get my mind off of everything. Then, I went to the library to read one of Erza's special novels, when a book hit right on my chromedome."

Was this suppose to be entertaining? Because Lucy was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"It turned out to be a history book and I said to myself 'eh, why not?'. So I started flipping through the pages, and I came across this drawing. It took me a moment to register the picture and at the very bottom... the words Giamia spelled out. But it looked so much like Lucy, and I thought it was just a coincidence. When I kept reading on, the book said that she had mated with dozens of men and women to have one of her offsprings take her place of world domination. And I literally sat with my mouth open for the rest of the day."

Mavis let out a soft chuckle, and proceeded to pet the fake-sleeping girl. The First Master brought her hand up along with the hair, and let it fall back into place. But she was focused on Makarov.

"After that, I didn't know how to react around her," He continued, "But she went around Fairy Tail, and made friends right away. Everybody loved her. And I thought to myself 'why does this sweet girl have such a terrible future waiting for her?'. No matter what Fairy Tail did, I knew this day would come someway or another, and I feared for her life and what will become of her," The old man paused, his breath sounding shaky, "over the year that I have known her, she was so important for me to protect, as well as all of Fairy Tail."

He reached out his hand, and trailed his wrinkly fingers down her soft cheek, "And to know that my children might die-" He cut off, a sob escaped. Mavis with her unoccupied hand patted Makarov on the back comfortingly. He thanked her, and wiped the tears from his eyes, "-it scares me to know that none of us will make it out alive after this."

Lucy clenched her fist tight, trying to stop herself from crying out and throwing her arms around the little man. It always hurt her to see the master show weakness in front of her.

"I know how you feel, Sixth Master," Mavis spoke, her voice laced with affection, "I thought of her as one as my own as well. All of Fairy Tail are my children, and I love all of them equal. And that is why I am ordering you to go with Richard and hide out in Matza Valley, for everyone's sake. I own it's hard to leave this place, but it is probably the hardest for me because I created this establishment with my own blood, sweat, and tears. I promise you, Makarov, we will all get through this, and we will get through this _alive _if it's the last thing that we do. We _will_ protect Lucy."

The silence once again filled the room, except for the occasional sniffles from the Sixth Master. Lucy tried so so _so_ hard to seem like she was sleeping, because she did not want her elders knowing that she had heard their whole conversation without their permission. Tears formed in her eyes, but didn't squeeze them to prevent tears from falling because it would give away her cover.

"You know that the Magic Council will be looking for her, right?" Makarov said in a nasal voice.

"I know." Mavis responded.

"And you know that they've been killing off Giamia's offsprings, right?"

"I know." It came again.

"And you know that Giamia made a deal with Lucifer, and that he is still looking for her now?"

Mavis gulped and replied, "I know."

There was a beat of silence until Makarov opened his mouth again.

"You know that she probably isn't going to make it out alive, right?"

Lucy's heart immediately stopped when those chilling words left the master's mouth. Her whole body froze, her muscles locked in place and her breath hitched. She prayed that the First Master's answer was different than the other ones.

Mavis's cold, ghostly hand came to a stop on top of Lucy's blonde head, and muttered:

"I know."

* * *

Ok I know I gotta explain a couple of things here.

First, remember that the vision was in the **FUTURE** so yes, it will be confusing. I know I made it confusing and shiz, but I did that on purpose to mess with your mortal minds. So don't worry too much about the vision, but you should still keep it in mind for the _future_.

Second, No. Giamia and Lucy do not have lesbian feelings towards each other. Trust me, I have absolutely nothing against it, but... that's like incest. They're related guys. So no yuri in this story sorry.

Maybe a bit, but oh well.

Third, I know that I said that Lucy hates and loves Giamia because she was a mother figure to her. Love-hate relationships are very hard, and I know from experience. That's why I thought that I can troll you guys and get you all confused. I'm just that mean.

Fourth, the dream that Lucy had with the black fire was an omen, so you might want to keep it in mind also...

Oh God I'm getting tried of this. Fifth, in the vision, let's just say that wasn't Natsu, but an old friend of Giamia's. Though Lucy did kill Fairy Tail. Hehehehehehehehe...

Ok I'm almost done. Sixth, to be very cruel to you readers, I am not going to tell you what Giamia's native language is. Maybe later in the story I will tell you, and you can go crazy and see what Giamia said. And I don't suggest that you use Google Translate because it's been jacking up the words a lot. Trust me, I'll tell you later.

Nope, I lied, we got one more. Seventh, Giamia isn't as sadistic and corrupted as you think she is. As the story progresses, both Giamia and Lucy will learn to love each other. Lucy hates and loves her (like I said before.) but Giamia does do some pretty unforgivable stuff throughout the stories. Ze dark wizard does love Lucy like her own child, and I actually like the relationship between those two.

LAST ONE. Eighth, there will be a lot more violence in the story from now on, so I hope the ones that are following, I hope you can take blood and stuff. I might change the rating also so... if you can't read rated M fanfics, I don't think you should read the beginning of the chapter. It probably won't be for a while, but its just a future warning.

OK IM SO SURE THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE I SWEAR. Ninth, there will be future bible verses and excorism in the future, so... yeah. Also, there will be OCs in the story, but they aren't going to fall in love with any of the characters. Richard is an OC, but you will see a lot more of him in the next chapter...

I'M FINALLY FREE! This chapter is over 15,000 words, and to be honest, I am very proud of myself for writing Chapter 4 of WLA. I have planned this whole story out already and I can't wait for you guys to read the rest, and I really hope that it will be interesting enough to leave you all wanting for more. And if you have any questions, just comment. **I say this all the time, but I will accept constructive criticism and if you don't have anything good to say or to politely say that I am lacking something... just don't read the story. **Otherwise, thanks for reading guys!

Ja ne!


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